A Puppy's Love
by Ryozu Miazaki
Summary: The big war against Wutai is tough, but it brings two individuals together: A Cadet named Zack Fair and a Sergeant Angeal Hewley. Couples: ZackxAngeal, GenesisxA, SephirothxA, ZxCloud, ZxKunsel, SxC, GxS; military setting.
1. Chapter 1

ShinRa academy: A place for hopeless people who have no purpose, a place for people to follow their dreams, a place for people who want to protect what is right.

A place for just about everyone actually...

If they'vegot what it takes.

**Chapter One**

"It's crowded again," muttered the young cadet as he sat down at an empty table. It just hit twleve and this place is already crowded, he thought. The cadet stared up at one of the ceiling fans and began to pick at his slice of bread.

"Hey, Zack," said a soldier that called for him from the other side of the lunchroom. Zack slowly looked over at that area and he raised an eyebrow. The rowdy individual waved for the cadet wildly. "Come over here!"

"Heh, no thanks. I'd rather eat lunch alone."

The one that called him, Kunsel, ran over to his table and slid into his seat next to Zack, the others were following him. "Aw, come on. Don't be like that! Come and join us troops as we go out into battle!"

Zack shook his head and smirked. "You are seriously on something, dude."

"No, I'm not...! You're just acting like a shy brat! You are totally not shy. What happened to the fun guy that rooms with me, man?"

"I guess he doesn't feel like coming out today." Zack said starting to eat his lunch. Kunsel began to pout and he put Zack into a head lock. Zack struggled to get free but Kunsel tightened his grip and began to laugh.

"Be fun guy now!"

"Arugh...can't breathe..."

"Soldier!"

"Kunsel and Zack looked behind them and there stood a tall, muscular brute of a man. He had his arms behind his back, and looked down at them with an annoyed expression. One look at his apparel and they could tell that he was high in authority. Kunsel released Zack from the hold and rose to his feet as did his breathless friend.

"SIR!" they said in unison**. **The man turned his back on them and started to walk away. He stopped and looked back at them. "Come with me," he saidand started up walking again. Kunsel looked at Zack and Zack looked at Kunsel**.** The raven haired cadet held a blank expression. His blank expression usually meant he was very angry. They both followed their superior and received stares and laughter from everyone in the area.

They were soon in an office, standing side by side;the man was looking at both of them with the same expression he held in the lunchroom. He handed them both a piece of paper and sat down at his desk.He obviously wanted them to leave now. The boys blinked and Kunsel was about to say something but his superior's eyes scared the mess out of him. He just walked out as quickly as he could. Zack watched Kunsel leave but stayed behind. For some reasonhis feet wouldn't let him leave the office.Zack's superior looked at him and sighed. "Did you have a question?"

"....You're different."

"What?"

"I mean, sir, uh, all we have to do is do this stuff on this piece of paper and that's it? You're not going to yell at us or anything?"

His superior stood up and walked over to him."I really don't feel like raising my voice today so I figure that this is easier."

"That's a bit lazy, sir."

"That it is, cadet...that it is." Zack blinked and he looked at his superior's name tag on his shirt.

"Angeal...Hewley."

"What did you call me?"

"Uh, I mean, Mr. Hewley, sir!...Angeal is a...is a cool name sir!"

Angeal raised an eyebrow. "Trying to suck up to me, boy?"

"Not at all, sir!" Zack replied with a hint of red in his cheeks. Angeal noticed this and couldn't help but chuckle. "Very well then," he said going back to his desk. "Do what the paper says and we won't have any problems. Is that clear, cadet?"

"Sir, yes sir!" Zack said and walked out of the office. To his surprise, Kunsel was standing in the hallway waiting for him.

"Hey, did you read what was on this piece of paper!? It's unbelievable! He's making us serve lunch with the lunch ladies, clean the bathrooms, clean his office!" Kunsel crumbled up his paper and growled. "Why the hell didn't he just yell at us like a normal sergeant!?"

"He said that he didn't feel like raising his voice**, **so he gave this punishment instead." Zack said, looking at the paper curiously.

Kunsel crossed his arms and sighed. "Well, if I don't do this crap, I'm a be in serious trouble."

"...Yeah." Zack folded the piece paper and then was silent. Kunsel knew that Zack had something to say and nudged his arm.

"What is it?"

"His beard..."

"Huh??"

"It's a cool beard." Zack said touching his own chin. Kunsel looked at Zack suspiciously and then grinned.

"You dig that sergeant, don't you?"

"H-huh? What?? No way, man. I just thought he had a cool look to him. That's all!"

"Yeah right!"

"I'm serious! That's all! Get off my back with this!"

"No way, Zack. You will never hear the end of it!" Kunsel said wrapping his arm around his flustered friend. Zack gave up and sighed and started to walk back to the lunchroom. Kunsel was basically clinging to him. The red head continued to laugh it up about Zack's interest in the sargeant known as Angeal Hewley.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

"Okay," began Kunsel. "you will do the sergeant's office**,** and I will start on the bathrooms...anything is better than going into that man's office." Kunsel then suddenly smirked. "I mean, you don't mind doing his office first, do you, Zack?"

"What? I feel like you're setting me up. Are you setting me up?"

"No way! Why would I do that to my best friend?"

"Because you're pure evil at heart." Zack said with a sigh. "Fine, I'll do it. But tomorrow you have to do his office. We clear?" Kunsel grinned and ran to the janitor's closet without saying**,** "You got it! I owe you one!" or anything like that, which meant that he would make Zack clean sergeant Hewley's office again. He frowned; lucky for him that he was already standing in front of his superior's office. He wiggled the door knob to see if it was open**,** and to his surprise, it wasn't even all the way closed. He pushed the door open, and there was sergeant Hewley, resting his head down upon his desk that was now covered in papers. Zack smirked and quietly walked into the office. He silently closed the door.

Zack eyes, for some reason, couldn't help but stare at his sleeping sergeant. He slowly got closer to sergeant Hewley and was almost hovering over him but he stopped himself before he did something that he would regret. He tilted his head to the side and just ended up watching him for some time. Zack didn't know whether or not he was afraid to wake him up or he just wanted to see what sparked his own curiosity about this man, this Angeal Hewley.

_Heh, there's no way I'm attracted to this guy. No way at all,_ was the thought that burned in the young Private's mind. He felt his cheeks getting hotter and hotter every second he thought of himself being attracted to the sergeant.

"You're right on time," said the sergeant, lifting up his head. Zack jumped, nearly let out a yelp but he held it in. Angeal stretched and leaned back in his chair. "Well, get started. I know that you were waiting for me to wake up. Start with this desk." The sargeant stood up and walked passed the still startled cadet, and then stopped. Zack blinked and turned around to see Angeal just standing there in silence and noticed that he was looking at something that was behind his door. It turned out to be a calendar and other letters and maybe some very important and really special memories. Zack tilted his head and the sargeant turned his head and noticed that Zack was staring at him. "What are you waiting for? Start working."

"Uh, yes sir." Zack said quickly and automatically started to clear off Angeal's desk while skimming through what he was getting rid of**;** he was making sure that none of it was important. "Really different," he muttered. Angeal turned to the working young man and shook his head.

"Still calling me different**?**"

"You really are, sir. You aren't mean or anything like that, sir. I think it's your looks that make people fear you so easily."

Angeal blinked and raised an eyebrow. "My looks?"

"Yeah...Uh, I mean--Did I offend you, sir? I'll stop--"

"Private."

"Y-yes sir…?"

"Be at ease. It's no where near the time to be calling me "sir". And I know that's not how you really act." Zack looked at Angeal curiously.

"What?"

"This is your shy act. I've seen you out on the obstacle field with the other Privates and Cadets, and you're all over the place," he paused and said to himself silently, " like a puppy."

"Wha...?"

"Nothing. Finish that desk and then you can leave. I'll be here everyday this week at this same time and each day you'll get something different to do." Angeal said while flipping through his calendar and stops in the month of September. "For second rate Private, I like you. And not just because you're respectful and you're nothing like that Kunsel."

"You know Kunsel?"

"Somewhat. I know him enough, heard about him from fellow sergeants. I can tell that that boy is scared of me completely. It sort of...amuses me." Angeal chuckled and Zack was suddenly smiling. That smile quickly turned into a grin and Zack laughed out loud, startling his superior.

"Are you always this talkative with your Privates?"

"...No, no I'm not." Angeal's hand covered his mouth, feeling a little embarrassed that he's spilling his thoughts to some kid that he barely knew. Maybe he felt more at peace with him?

Impossible. Why would I feel that way for him?

"Sir, you're desk is finished." Zack had organized his files on his desk, threw away documents that he somehow knew wasn't important to the sergeant. He placed the sergeant's cup full of pens and pencils and whatever else existed in that cup to the front of his desk in the upper right corner. Angeal sat there and checked if there was anything that he could get on Zack about but there was nothing to his surprise.

"Very nice job. You may leave and do your other assignments."

"Heh, that's a word for it." Zack said leaving the office but Angeal stopped him by calling him. "Yes?" His superior looked at Zack's shirt and he noticed that he was looking at his name tag.

"Private Zack Fair, huh?"

Zack saluted. "Yes sir!"

"You are dismissed."

"Sir, yes sir!"

----------------------

Yeah, chapter two is done. Whoot whoot. This one is short like chapter one. The others will be longer of course. God...Angeal is so friendly! O_ Well, he was friendly in CC so he'll be friendly here, right? RIGHT!

Thanks for reading if you have read this or the other one at all. ^_^''


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three:**

Kunsel and Zack's backs hit the restroom wall. They both slid down the wall and their butts met the floor.

"Finally, a week has passed! We don't have to do this crap anymore! That's the last time I decide to put you in a headlock." Zack laughed and smiled. Kunsel blinked. "What's that smile for?"

"Huh? Oh, it's nothing. I just realized that I didn't get on you about not cleaning the sergeant's office."

"O-oh! Uh, yeah...how was that part of the job?"

"Hm, pretty good actually."

Kunsel gasped and stood up to his feet. "What??"

"Yeah. The sergeant isn't as scary as people make him up to be. I mean, we've talked--..."

Kunsel crossed his arms and looked at his blue eyed friend curiously. "You guys actually had conversation?"

"Yup," said Zack as he tied up his boot. "I asked him a couple of questions about some stuff and he answered them without giving me any strange looks...except his face said: "Why the heck are you asking me all of this??"" Zack laughed, stood up, and started to walk to his first drill of the day and that was shooting practice.

Honestly, that was something that he could not do well, at all. His maximum targets were two, tops. The young Private was now trying to fire at his target but, unfortunately for him, he kept missing them. He cursed under his breath and put down his gun. Zack rubbed his eyes, picked up his gun back up and tried again. Nothing worked for him. "Keep shooting like that, and you'll surely be killed on the battlefield." He felt someone adjust his shoulder and his elbow. "Now, shoot."

**BANG! BANG! BANG!**

Zack's smile could have lit up the darkest skies. He turned to the person that helped him."Thanks alot--Angeal?"

"What did you call me?"

"I mean, sergeant Hewley?? Are you in charge of the shooting grounds today?"

"Yeah," Angeal said taking Zack's gun from him and putting on the head set that was needed before firing any type of gun. "You arm was crooked, your balance was totally off, the gun was tilted to the side which is just not right, and you were too tense." Zack rolled his eyes. Angeal looked at him and smirked. "I'm serious, Private. This was how you holding your gun." Zack blinked and Angeal fired the gun. The bullet missed the target completely and Angeal put the gun down for a second, looking at the expression that Zack held on his face. "This is how your stance should be. Loosen up your shoulders, aim straight ahead..." Angeal looked focused. "Don't remove your eyes from the target."

**BANG! BANG! BANG!**

"That is how your stance should always be and that's how you focus." Angeal gave the gun back to Zack. "Focus is key. Got it?"

"Do you help others this thoroughly??"

"...Only the ones that really look like their struggling. Or the ones that actually want my time." The sergeant said with a light smile. Zack felt himself blush but his superior didn't seem to notice. That was a good thing in his case. Zack saw that Angeal was walking away but he grabbed his arm before he could get any farther. Angeal blinked and looked back at the cadet. The raven haired boy clapped his hands together and went down on his knees. Other cadets stared in their direction and the sergeant was getting a little nervous. "Please, sergeant Hewley! Teach me everything you know, sir!"

"......" Angeal pulled Zack up to his feet. He sighed and started to walk away again and then stopped. "Be up at the usual time, soldier."

"R-really??"

"If you're late, you will get no other opportunities. Got it?"

*********************************************************************************************************************

**BANG! BANG! BANG!**

"Alright, I got it!"

"Nice work."

"Piece of cake! I'll be the best shooter around this academy!" Angeal crossed his arms and smirked. "Oh really now?"

"Yeah! I got the best teacher in the world to train me into mean shooting machine!" Zack smiled and Angeal was a little bit surprised at what his new student had said. "I'm not all that great, Zack...but thanks for saying that."

"No problem!" Zack put down his gun and took off the headset and placed them down. "Hey, I'm a go get a drink of water if that's alright with you, Angeal."

"Actually, that's enough teaching for one morning. You are dismissed....Zack."

The young cadet stopped in his tracks and turned his head. He replied the sergeant with a "Hmm?" and Angeal stated: "Embrace your dreams."

"Huh?"

"If you want to succeed in life, you need to have dreams," the sergeant paused. "and honor."

"Uh...okay...?" Zack ran off leaving Angeal alone with his thoughts and he, the cadet himself, pondering on Angeal's sudden advice.

The sergeant watched the cadet run farther and farther away while a wave of questions flooded his mind.

_**What does he see in me...? He doesn't mind being around me and he's not afraid of me. What part of me sparks this puppy's curiousity?? Am I strange or something??**_

Angeal smirked and chuckled to himself. "Why am I even thinking about this?"

"Maybe it's because you care for that boy more than you realize. Really now, Angeal. A kid?" Angeal jumped and picked up the gun, spinning around to face the unknown enemy. His eyes widened**;** he lowered his gun a couple of inches. "Genesis??"

The beautiful man known as Genesis smirked and walked closer to Angeal. The sergeant took a step back and didn't move anymore. "What are you--?"

"I came to see you, dear friend."

"Humph, you're dead to me now. You should have never left." Angeal turned his eyes away from the man he once new as a friend but now as an enemy. Genesis laughed. "I'm dead to you? Since when were you strong enough to let someone dear to you go? You're a big softy."

"You should have never went to the enemy! You should have stayed on this side!"

"And what**?** **S**tay at a place where they changed my life forever? Never again." Genesis walked close enough to Angeal that he could touch his face. Angeal jumped slightly at Genesis's touch and slapped his hand away from his face. The bishounen frowned. "Oh, don't be like that....Angeal, you don't belong here either. This place is Hell for people like us?"

"I am nothing like you."

"Heh, you don't understand now, but, the time will come when you will come to me and join the right side, the side of life....and where the gift of goddess lives forever for us." The sergeant smirked.

"LOVELESS...that's still your favorite play?" Genesis smiled. His eyes looked into Angeal's and his former best friend was trying not to get sucked into Genesis's gaze of mystery, almost like his own.

Their lips suddenly met.

Angeal froze and to his surprise he started responding in a way that he didn't want to respond. Why didn't he fight it like he wanted to? Was it because it was Genesis and no one else...no one else but his old best friend? The sergeant's arm pushed Genesis away and he turned away from him. He touched his lips and looked back at Genesis with a vengeful gaze. Genesis did nothing but look at Angeal with fustration and then gave up. ""Even if the morrow is barren of promises, nothing shall forestall my return."" Genesis was gone.

Sergeant Hewley ran his fingers through his black hair and sighed. For some odd apparent reason he felt a familiar presence in the area but in a matter of seconds, the presence vanished.

"I know, Genesis," he said looking up at the sky. "I know what has happened here on this side...what happened...I can't..."

_I refuse._

_------------------------_

_Lol, I kind of threw that "Embrace your dreams..." thing in there because, hey, that's a famous Angeal line. xD'' And this is in italics and I don't know why. _

_But there you go, some AngealxGenesis action. _


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I do not own any of the characters of FF7...only Kunsel's description.**

**Chapter Four:**

Zack splashed his face with ice cold water and shivered at its touch. He wiped his face with his sleeve and stared at the mirror in front of him. He felt hurt, betrayed, and for what? Nothing was going on between him and Angeal. What was he getting all emotional for?

_That man means nothing to me! He's just my teacher, my superior, superior!!!_

Zack was getting teary eyed**; **he splashed his face with more cold water. "Stop crying, darn it!" Tears rolled down his face**[;]** his vision became blurry. _I shouldn't even be crying over something like this! You don't like guys in the first place, Zack! Focus!! Why is this guy any different from the rest?!_

No matter how many times he told himself that, the pain in his chest burned even more. Zack wiped his face and walked out of the restroom silently, listening to the sound of his footsteps on the tile floor. When he finally reached his room, whom he was sharing with Kunsel, he closed the door silently behind him and sat down in the chair by the desk. He put his head down. His eyes soon closed, falling into a deep sleep.  
The school bells rang louder than usual, it seemed. Zack shot straight up. Kunsel jumped down from the top bunk of the bunk bed yawning loudly. Zack wiped his weary eyes. He was already dressed,andhe was sort of used to dressing early because of the "punishment" he and Kunsel received from Angeal. Zack just walked to the shooting area again.

His shooting got better, much better, thanks to Angeal....Angeal, the thought of Angeal made his heart ache more than it already did....that ache turned into rage; His feelings sure came out during the shooting drills which he aced with flying colors. People cheered for him and told that he was the man, but he didn't care. He just...didn't care about anything for a moment.

"You did it, cadet." Zack jumped at the sound of the familiar voice. It was his sergeant, Angeal.

Heh, his sergeant? Yeah right.

He put on a fake smile and laughed fakely as well. "Ha ha! Well, you are the greatest teacher in the world!"  
"Y-yeah..." Angeal felt a vibe coming off of Zack and i t wasn't a good one. Has he really gotten that attached to him that he now realizes what's wrong with his cadet? Wait a minute, _his_ cadet? What was he thinking?

"Can I talk to you over there, Zack?"

"..Sure." The two got away from the crowd; they walked quite a distance. They were now standing on top of a hill that can almost give you the entire view of the academy. There was silence between them. "Is something bothering you...?"

"...."

"I'm not asking as a sergeant either." Zack blinked. Angeal sighed, his hand meeting his forehead. "I guess you can say that I'm asking you as a friend, if we are friends at all, or as a teacher." Zack looked at Angeal with a surprised facial expression but he still refused to tell him what was bothering him. "You sure?"

"Yeah, I'm good."

"Good....good." Angeal could tell that it wasn't t he truth, but he wasn't not the type of guy thatwould continue to ask the same question over and over again; he knew that the person he's asking the question to will get annoyed and never tell. The sergeant sighed and just patted Zack's head. The young man blinked. He was a tad confused at this point. Did he always do that to his special cadets, he wondered. "Zack?"

"Uh, yes?" Angeal crossed his arms and looked out into the view of the academy. "What is your dream?"

"Uh...my dream?" Zack closed his eyes. They reopened with a look of confidence. "To be on the front line in battle!" He paused. "And to be a sergeant like you." Angeal's eyes glanced at the cadet curiously. "Why the front line?"

"Don't really know. I guess I like the rush...but I guess when I get out there, killing shouldn't be considered a rush." Zack sighed and sat down on the grass. Angeal blinked. "Adrenalline bumping through my veins in the sight of danger...!" Zack's back hit the grass al**[l]** of sudden. The sergeant felt a little awkward standing up and joined the boy on the grass. The cadet's eyes met Angeal's for a brief minute and he looked away.  
Huh, talking about his dreams almost ma de him forget what he saw earlier on that morning. Zack rolled on his side to face Angeal. "But yeah, that's my dream."  
"I see," Angeal said with a smirk. Zack blinked. "What's that look for?"

"Nothing....You feel better now?" Zack blushed. "Maybe..." The sergeant looked up at the sky, relieved. He was definitely attached to Zack now, he knew it. Theyweresomehow connected in some sort of way.

Angeal cleared his throat and suddenly said, "Now we have to work on your hand to hand combat." Zack sat up, getting closer to Angeal. "What? Why? My hand to hand combat is fine!"

"I've seen you and you're right...it's decent." Zack shot straight up to his feet. "Decent?! I'm better than "decent"!"

"Really? Prove it to me. Spar with me. Right here, right now. Loser runs 100 laps for three days straight."

"What!?"

"You have a problem with that, cadet?" Angeal said with a hint of humor in his voice. Zack's face became flushed as hegrowled in frustration. "You're on!" the cadet practically shouted out. He put his fist up and waited for Angeal to get into position. The sergeant smiled and closed his eyes. He slowly rose to his feet, his eye s reopening. The way Angeal looked at Zack struck sudden fear in the cadet's heart. He almost lost his footing and the battle hadn't even started yet.

Angeal took a step forward, Zack still didn't move. He didn't want to appear like a coward;he wanted to be strong. Before the cadet knew it, Angeal wasn't in sight. A presence appeared behind him and Zack spun around to meet his teacher's fist in his face. Zack flew back a great distance and fell straight on his back. "Dang, that hurt..." he muttered while rubbing his face. Angeal began to walk towards the fallen cadet and Zack jumped straight up.

He charged at Angeal at full speed and sent out punches, kicks, anything that could hurt him! None of them worked. The older man just dodged and blocked Zack like it was nothing.

Zack growled and punched directly at his face. Angeal's hand grabbed the cadet's fist and pulled the cadet closer to him. "You're not going to get me by attacking at random**. **You do realize that, Zack." Zack tried to pull himself away from Angeal, but the more he tried, the more Angeal's grip tightened. "You lose. 100 laps for three days straight." The sergeant said with a smile while letting go of Zack's hand.

Zack sighed. Maybe ev eryone was just clueless on how to fight and I just knew what I was doing...sort of.  
"You may have two breaks..that's it. Use them wisely, cadet Zack. Starting now." Angeal said, walking away. "H-hey! Wait a minute! Right now!?"

"Yeees..." he called back. Zack stood there for a second then fell to his knees. "Why....WHY!?!?"

---------

A/N: Lol, yeah. A fight. Not a serious one, no no no. Ah, what will happen next, hm? Say tuned in to find out! Thanks for reading!


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I do not own any of the FF7 characters...only Kunsel's description.**

**Chapter Five:**

There was a knock at the door. Angeal looked up from his desk full of paperwork and sighed. "Come in," he said leaning back in his chair. The door slowly opened and it revealed a familiar face. Angeal blinked and then smirked. "General, what can I do for you?"

"Now you already know to call me Sephiroth, sergeant."

"And you know to call me Angeal, general." The two fell silent. The silence was broken by their sudden laughter. "Nice to see you, Sephiroth."

"Same to you, old friend." Sephiroth sat down on the corner of Angeal's desk and crossed his arms. Angeal flipped through more of his paperwork; he suddenly paused and looked at the general. "Is there something that you want to talk about?" Sephiroth's eyes suddenly narrowed. He glanced at Angeal without saying a word. Angeal raised an eyebrow and then found himself shuffling through more paperwork. "Is it something that I--"

"It's about Genesis."

The sergeant froze. He put down the papers he held in his hands clearing=2 0his throat. "What about him?"

"You don't think I know that he came to you today?" Sephiroth said with a sigh. Angeal lowered his head and began shuffling nervously through papers; some fell off of his desk while doing so. "You two shared a kiss together. Tell me," Sephiroth removed himself from the sergeant's desk and grabbed Angeal's wrist. "are you planning on leaving us too?"

Angeal growled and snatched his wrist away from Sephiroth. "Of course would you--"

"How can you be so sure now? Because when you two shared that one kiss, it proved something to me, Angeal." Sephiroth leaned forward on the desk hoveringover Angeal. The sergeant lifted his head slowly. Their eyes met. "If you betray us...if you betray me...you will be destroyed."

"..."

"...I don't want it to have to come to that but that's what will happen if you leave this side of the war. Don't be a fool." Sephiroth said. The general's tone suddenly changed. "I...I don't want to lose another friend."

Angeal's eyes softened. He smiled and sighed. "I'm not going anywhere." Sephiroth turned from=2 0his old friend, walking toward the exit. His hand touched the door's frame.

"I hope not. I hope you can keep your word." He opened the door silently and walked out, closing the door behind him. Angeal sighed deeply and rubbed his forehead.

"...But can you blame him, Sephiroth? What they did to us..." he said aloud. "Can you blame Genesis for betraying us?"

"Say, Zack," Kunsel gulped down his soda and burped loudly. Zack shook his head and looked at his friend with a curious expression. "Since tomorrow is the day that we can leave campus for a while, you wanna hang out with me and couple of guys? Going to the beach as early as possible!" Kunsel grinned as he wrapped his arm around Zack's neck casually.

"Sure! I--..." Zack smacked his forehead groaned. Kunsel blinked.

"I have some things I have to do with sergeant Hewley and--"

"Ah, right, of course." Kunsel removed his arm and picked up his sandwich, taking a big bite. He swallowed loudly and frowned. "You two sure spend a lot of time to together. You dating the guy or something?" Zack coughed up his soda causing the cadets across from him to stand up quickly and swipe their clothes.

"W-what?!" Zack wiped his mouth with his sleeve.

His red headed friend smirked. "That must be the reason. I mean you were fascinated by the guy, so why not go out with him?"

"He's my freakin' superior as well as yours!" he raising his voice. He was up on his feet without knowing it. His face began to glow a bright crimson. "...P-plus I'm not into guys anyway." The cadet sat down quietly and hung his head low.

"Uh-huh, yeah, sure." Kunsel finished off his sandwich and leaned on the table, getting closer to Zack. "So what do you two do in the morning anyway?"

"Training. He trains me before classes start." Zack said quickly. "He helps me with me hand to hand combat and my shooting."

Kunsel nodded his head. "So that's how you got so good. I was wo ndering how your skill level increased like that." The red head turned his head to look at the people walk by.

His eyes suddenly saw the sergeant and he smiled. "There's Mr. Hewley, Zack. Go say hi." Kunsel stood up, pulled Zack out of his seat and pushed him into Angeal, almost like it was an accident. Angeal caught Zack before he could fully run into him but the cadet's back still touched his chest. Zack turned his head to see Angeal and then blushed. The sergeant raised an eyebrow and before he knew it he was smiling, almost laughing. "You're not going to apologize?"

"Uuh, I'm sorry, sir!" Zack found his balance and saluted his mentor. Angeal sighed and did the same. "At ease, cadet. I'm not mad." Angeal's eyes wandered in Kunsel's direction and he saw that Kunsel was giving him a look, a look of hatred. Perhaps...jealousy? What was he jealous of exactly? Why would this cadet be jealous of him?

The answer suddenly hit the sergeant, and it left an amused expression on his face. "Zack," the sergeant finally managed to say.

"Y-yes sir?" Zack blinked and saw the expression on his face. "Take the day off tomorrow. Tomorrow is your only free day for a while after all. You deserve it."

"W-what? Seriously??" Kuns el and Zack said in union.

Angeal chuckled. "Yes, seriously."

Zack wanted to jump his mentor,but he just remembered something. "...Do I still have to run 100 laps today and tomorrow?"

"I don't know, you tell me." Angeal walked past the cadets with a devious smirk on his face. He says Zack can have the day off but he still has to run laps?! That's not freedom at all! He tricked him, didn't he!?  
Zack crossed his arms and sighed.

"I guess I have to get up earlier than the usual time...I have to run the laps or else. I don't know what Angeal will do if I don't."

Kunsel couldn't help but smirked. "Does he let you call him that often?"

"Call him what?"

"Angeal."

"..Huh, I guess so. He only seemed to dislike it when we first met." Kunsel felt and awkward silence fall over his body. He sat back down in his seat. Zack tilted his head and sat back down as well. "Kunsel? What's with the sudden silence?"

"...Hm? It's nothing. I just thought of something, that's all." The red head rested his head on the table. He sat there in silence for the rest of the lunch period.

_Peace_, he said in his mind. The academy looked so beautiful at night: the way the moon hovered over the hill he sat upon with it's orangish glow. The sky itself held the lights of the heavens giving it character. Angeal sighed.  
"Peace," the sergeant repeated aloud to himself. Who else could really hear him anyway? It was ten o'clock at night, people were in their rooms and their offices, no one was out doing laps or anything.  
Everything was just still, just like the sergeant liked it.

Angeal layed his back down on the grassy hill and let out a satisfied sigh. His ears rang to the chirping of the crickets beyond the silence of the night.

_I wonder_, he thought. _I wonder how he looks..._

Angeal's hand rested upon his forehead, he closed his eyes slowly and was about to drift off into a deep sleep on that hill.

A familiar presence suddenly crept it's way into the peace of his time stilled world.

"My, you're looking well, Angeal."

The sergeant was about to sit up but a foot pushed him back down. It was Genesis.

He pressed down harder on his old friend's chest making him wince in pain. His lips curled up into a smile. He was a little eager this evening, more eager than he has been in his life. What happened to Genesis before he came here?

"You know, this will be the second time that Sephiroth has rejected me, old friend." Genesis removed his foot. "This will be the second time that he's said "no"...to me."

"Genesis--"

"WHY?!" His eyes widened in rage as he pulled Angeal up by his collar. "Why won't you two come with me!? You know that this place is a curse to everyone who walks within its walls! Even to your dear puppy, Zack." He dropped the sergeant and sat down next to him calmly, as though nothing had just happened.  
"I know more than you think, Angeal. Much more. I come around often." 0A

Sergeant Hewley sat up slowly, he was still in a little bit of pain but he bore with it. His eyes stared at the back of Genesis's head. He was feeling a little bit uneasy around him, especially since they were under the moonlight, in the peaceful darkness.

Memories of the kiss they shared swam back to the front of the sergeant's mind; it was just a kiss, it didn't mean anything! It was just a trick to pull him into Genesis's web.

Blue eyes were soon staring back at Angeal with a hint of sorrow showing within them. "Angeal...I don't want you guys to be living a lie. Quit acting like you can't walk away from this."

"I can't walk away."

"Heh, honor won't let you, right?" Genesis paused. "Fine. I guess I'll take you by force."

Sergeant Hewley's back hit the grass once more, grunting loudly. He was being pinned down by his ex-best friend and surprisingly, he couldn't move.

Genesis's face was soon hovering over Angeal's. The sergeant tried hard not to return his ex-friend's gaze of longing, his gaze of pleading.

"G-genesis..."

Genesis placed his index finger upon the sergeant's lips, his hand suddenly began to stroke his uncomfortable friend's face. "Shh...don't..."

Their lips got closer.

"push me..."

And closer.

"away."

Passion began to consume the two individuals as their lips touched. The ex-best friends faces mashed together constantly, they were making sure that their desires were going to be fulfilled. It was like they were both longing for each other in their hearts.

Genesis pulled Angeal closer to him by the sergeant's collar, but that one hard tug of the shirt sent them both rolling the hill. The two led out a small grunt as they hit a tree that was close in range.  
Angeal felt like he couldn't move, that just took too much out of the sergeant.

"Are you alright," Genesis suddenly asked as he pushed himself up off the ground. He hovered over his friend with a smile on his face. Angeal turned his face away; he was embarrassed at the fact they both almost made love on a hill, ended up rollin g down it, and then rolling right into a tree at speed with him coming first in the line of pain!

"Humph."

"You can't move, can you?" Genesis put a hand over Angeal's forehead and began to chuckle. "You always didn't like to show when you were hurt. You always did try to protect your honor."

"...."

"And I know that you will still resist me. You can't take that passion back Angeal. You want to go with me, its written all over your face. Its in your eyes ..."

Sergeant Hewley finally managed to sit up with the help of Genesis of course, he wasn't going to let him struggle. He wasn't going to win over the sergeant that way.

"Just come with me...!"

"And what happens if I do, huh?" Angeal didn't look at Genesis. His devious friend smiled. The one he called a traitor wrapped his arms around Angeal's neck lovingly.

"I'll make the pain go away." he whispered. "And you know what I'm talking about."  
The sergeant didn't respond. The traitor had him right where he wanted him.

"It's right here," Genesis pressed Angeal's right shoulder blade gently. Even with a gentle touch did it send signals to the sergeant's brain that it burned, that it felt like a knife was trying to break through his flesh; he bit his lip and tried not to cry out.

"I can help you with this Angeal...for I have already had this feeling." Genesis began to caress the sergeant's shoulder blade, the pain was beginning to subside with every stroke of his hand. Angeal sighed.  
"See?" Genesis stopped and the pain came rushing back. Cries of agony escaped from the sergeant's throat but Genesis covered his mouth and began to shush him, rocking him back and forth.  
"You don't have to suffer like this, not at all," he began to say. "think about it, old friend." Genesis removed his hand from Angeal's mouth slowly. "Just think about it."

Again, he vanished.

Angeal didn't know what to do.

Betrayal.....

It was beginning to sound like salvation.

Salvation was what he needed.

----------------

....Ah, yes. One of my favorite chapters to write! :3 Though that GenesisxAngeal thing took me forever to get past. ^_^'' But please, keep on reading if you enjoy this! Thanks!


	6. Chapter 6

_Dear Gillian, _

_It's been a while, hasn't it? Since I wrote you a letter, it seems like it's been ages. _

_I miss you. And....and I just want to to apologize to you. The reason why escapes me. I just had this feeling that I should say..._

_I'm sorry, mother. _

_My vacation is coming up soon. I'll be coming home to see how you're doing. Letters don't give me the whole picture. I do worry about you. _

_I have a new student. I'm surprised that I even took him under my wing, so to speak. His name is Zack, Zack Fair; he's a cadet of course.  
Funny thing his is that he reminds me of a puppy. Short attention span, restless and...he has a certain charm about him. _

_He wants to go on the battle field and wants me to train him until he's ready. I think that day is soon. But....I don't...anyway, he has a good head on his shoulders. I sometimes wish that something will change the boy's mind into not going into battle with Wutai. _

_I want him to see that it's not at all like the action movies that Zack has seen in his life; I don't even know why the boy wants to go to war. It's suicide..._

_Zack's like a....I just can't...I can't figure him out. Heh..._

_What am I saying? I can't tell you stuff like this, you're my mother...!_

_But I guess that doesn't matter too much. _

_...I think that boy is becoming an influence on me. I can feel it. The way I'm writing to you feels..I don't know, different. It bothers me a little bit. _

_This is actually all I have to say. Not much, I know, but don't worry. I'll see you in a week, alright?_

_Love,  
Your son._

-Angeal Hewley

"Oh, that's so sweet." Gillian folded the letter and placed it gently in her lap. Her weary eyes closed as a smile appeared on her lips. "My son is in love."

**Chapter Six:**

"We need more soldiers out there, sir. We can't handle the Wutai troops with such little force...!" Tseng put the pencil end in his mouth and bit it, now holding it in his mouth. Sephiroth looked up from his desk and glanced at the worried lieutenant.

"No one is ready for this yet. These new recruits don't have what it takes yet."

"But sir--!"

"My decision is final." Sephiroth stood up and looked out his window. The training grounds was right behind his office, the shooting area to be precise. His green eyes gazed in the direction of a familiar cadet.  
Zack. That was his name, the general thought. His skills have improved...

"Lieutenant."

Tseng looked up at the general and saluted. "Sir!"

"Go and fetch me this cadet."

"Cadet Fair? You're not thinking--"

"Go now. That's an order." Sephiroth gave Tseng a cold stare, sending shivers down the lieutenant's spine.

"Y-yes sir." Tseng turned and paced out of the door.

Angeal paced back in forth, from his desk to his book shelf.

_Research, research, research. Come on, it has to be here somewhere...!_

**Knock knock knock.**

He ignored it and continued pacing.

**Knock knock knock.**

A heavy sigh. "What is it?!"

"Angeal?"

"...M-mother?" Angeal dropped everything that he was doing and swiftly opened his office door. His eyes softened and he was smiling lovingly at the woman that stood in front of him.

"Mother, it's been so long." Angeal gave his mother, Gillian,a warm embrace. His mother giggled and she kissed her son's cheek. She had forgotten how soft his face was. "What are you doing here? I said I was going to come see you."

**  
**"I just wanted to get a glimpse of my son's life. Sometimes I think you sugarcoat it in your letters." Gillian glanced down at the mess on the floor and began to pick the books and papers up, placing them neatly on his crowded desk. Angeal took the remaining books from her fragile hands and shook his head.

"You don't have to do that, mom."

"That's right. You're not the little boy that I used to adore anymore." Gillian felt tears burning her brown eyes, one escaped and fell down her tan face. Angeal instinctively touched his mother's face and wiped the still tears from her eyes. Smiling down at her he kissed Gillian's forehead.

"I'm still your son, aren't I?"

"That you are...!" Gillian wrapped her arm around Angeal'sand smiled. Angeal**,** for once**,** felt relaxed. Seeing his mother smile was one of the greatest things in the world to him, besides her being alive and kicking. "Now, where's that puppy of yours?" Gillian left go of the sergeant's arm and wandered over to the window. She peeked through the blinds and saw a boy being removed from the training grounds to another location. "Is that him?" she asked in a curious tone. Angeal looked from behind her and nodded.

"Yeah. What's he being called in for?" Angeal asked himself. The sergeant suddenly sat down at his desk and sighed, moving paperwork out of the way so that he can see his desk.

"Love works in mysterious ways, I see."

"What?" Angeal raised an eyebrow and glanced at his giggling mother. She'd been doing that a lot all of a sudden. Gillian touched her son's broad shoulders and rested her head on his right shoulder.

"You're in love."

Zack walked through the open door that was held by Tseng. Tseng swiftly left the room and left the cadet alone with the one and only General Sephiroth. Zack couldn't believe it! His little heart almost skipped a beat, actually, it did and the process kept repeating itself! What should he say? What should he do!?

Breathe, Zack. Come on, focus. You can say something to him, the cadet thought to himself. He gulped.

Just...go out and ask him!

"I would like to recommend you, Zack." Sephiroth stood up and walked over to the paranoid cadet, looking at him up and down curiously, but the emotion didn't show. Zack blinked.

"You would like to rec--"

"For the war. I want you to fight for our army." The general said it so bluntly, so clearly, that Zack couldn't believe it even more than he already didn't. The cadet stuttered before he can gather the right words.

"You sure you want to send me, sir? I mean I don't--"

"I guess you want to give up on your dream already?" Sephiroth smirked. Zack gasped and was about to reply when Sephiroth continued. "Angeal told me your objective, cadet. You're working with one of the best. You do realize that."

Zack nodded his head slowly. Was his mentor really that good? If the general says so, then it must be true, right? Zack's nodding sped up a bit, soon making himself dizzy. Sephiroth shook his head and smiled...a little smile. A really tiny smile.

"Angeal taught you well, I've seen your improvement."

"Really? I didn't think I was getting it until he made me run those laps. 300 laps all together. That was something..." Zack rubbed the back of his head. He realized he was acting too friendly with the general and dropped his arm to his side. Sephiroth shook his head and held up his hand.

"At ease..."

"Yes, sir." Zack sighed heavily. He smiled at his superior and was now officially relaxed.

"So," Sephiroth went and sat back down at his desk. "are you up for the challenge or are you going to forget about your dream, cadet?"

"..." Zack gulped. "Uh..." He paused. Was he really going to say "no"?! His opportunity! And Angeal helped him out! He couldn't refuse this offer, no way!

The cadet opened his mouth and said loudly: "Oh yeah! You bet I am, sir! I'm ready for the war!" The general blinked before laughing out loud. This boy was hilarious. So full of energy, Zack was. No wonder Angeal finds him so fun to work with. That's why Angeal accidentally let the word "puppy" slip out of his mouth two days ago. It was...actually pretty adorable, and that word would usually not exist in the general's vocabulary.

"Glad to hear your excitement. But remember," Sephiroth's voice became serious. "this is not a game. Your life is on the line. Everyone's lives are. Either you come back here alive or you don't." The general leaned forward on his desk with his hands crossed. "But I guess you knew that, or you were too busy dreaming to face the reality of it all."

Zack didn't know what to say at the general's sudden change in mood. It kind of freaked him out. Maybe that's one reason why people try not to tick him off.  
The cadet had heard stories about General Sephiroth's rage and he was set for life about what he should and should not do around the general. Zack thought that he was doing pretty good.

"That's..." Zack's words trailed off.

~****************************************************************************************************************************~  
""In love???" With the cadet?" Angeal repeated, mostly to himself.

Gillian saw the sudden look of fear form in his dark blue eyes. She cupped her son's face within her hands and smiled down on him. Angeal looked up at her, still looking rather pained, and mouthed the word "love". He couldn't be in love with Zack! That was just wrong on so many levels and he knew it! A sergeant and a cadet....that striked as some sort of rape....even if the boy wanted to be...

Arugh! Stop thinking such nonsense, he costantly said in his mind over and over. His mother could gravely sense his stress running through his veins and rubbed his head lovingly.

"Impossible," he murmered.

Gillian shook her head. "Not really. Love comes in different shapes and different sizes, Angeal. That boy makes you feel needed, doesn't he? Makes you feel like you're loved?"

"..."

Yeah, he sort of did, Angeal couldn't deny that need to be wanted. It was built in him to have that desire to help others, he thought. Nonetheless, it was still wrong. The sergeant continued to deny it.

"Tell you what," Gillian released her son's handsome face and just rested them on his shoulders once more. "look into Zack's eyes one day and tell yourself that you're not in love with him."

"...into his eyes, huh?" Angeal brought his hand up to his forehead, rubbing it slowly. He would probably get lost in the cadet's eyes because they were so pure, so full of life and that was one of Zack's greatest traits that people didn't have. It suddenly worried him that Zack would be going into the war soon, and he didn't want to see that.

Gillian was sort of expecting that reaction out her son and sighed silently. He would probably continue to deny his feelings again but then they would just come up and it would be too much for Angeal and the cadet to handle. But if that's what will happen, then so be it....!

Angeal's mother left out of the office, leaving the sergeant there to ponder about himself and his puppy silently. She smiled at the sudden thought of her son confessing his love to Zack. Judging by the boy's appearance and the light in his gorgeous eyes, he felt the same way. That was the look of someone in love and his mentor didn't know it.

~********************************************************************************************************************************~  
"You are dismissed, cadet. You will be leaving for Wutai in a week. Tseng will be giving you more proper training as well as Angeal, I'm guessing?" Sephiroth looked directly into the cadet's eyes, Zack could hardly stare back into the general's.

Zack gulped and said, "So, I have the job???"

"You want me to take that order back?"

"Not at all, sir!" Zack was relieved and excited! He was really going to Wutai! Him! He had to tell Angeal after all of this was over. Wouldn't he be so proud of his cadet?

Heh, there he goes with that again. Since when did he think of himself as Angeal's? He neededto keep his mind free of that kind of stuff. He didn't dig his mentor.

~*****~

Zack approached Angeal's office slowly. Was he afraid of the response he'd get all of a sudden? Geez, just go in there and tell him that you're going to war! It's not that hard...right? Right! Right, right, right, right, right, RIGHT!

"Zack Fair?"

"....h-huh?" The cadet's head whipped around to see a frail older woman, tanish skin, short dark brown hair, sweet dark and yet weary eyes. Zack smiled nervously and replied with a "Yes? Can I help you, ma'am?"

"So polite, you are." The older woman came a little closer to the cadet and stared directly at his face. Zack blinked and wanted to ask what was the matter but couldn't. He was just stunned at the moment. "Tell me, your mentor is a Mr. Hewley, correct?"

"Y-yes, that is correct." Who was this woman, he wondered. Zack inched toward the fragile woman little by little.

"Is he being good teacher to you, Mr. Fair?"

"H-huh? Well," Zack's hand scratched the back of his head nervously. "I guess so! He's been teaching everything that I need to know and we've been sparing and Angeal's--I mean, sergeant Hewley's been teaching me how to use a knife now! Those things are very sharp...never knew how sharp a knife could really be until now." The cadet noticed that he wasn't feeling uneasy anymore as he spoke of his mentor. Weird, he thought. The woman smiled at him, pleased at his answer.

"I'm glad my son is doing the right thing. He picked a well rounded boy."

"W-what? "Son"?? You're--?!"

"That's right. I'm Angeal's mother, Gillian Hewley." Gillian gently placed her index finger at the tip of his nose and pushed it down. She removed her finger and looked at the boy lovingly. So adorable, she thought. He could defininately change Angeal's life.

Zack blinked and blushed suddenly. He saluted her on impulse and said, It's an honor to meet you, Mrs, Hewley, ma'am!"

"So respectful. Do not worry, dear. You don't have to salute an old woman like me. Just knowing who you are is a priviege enough."

"Knowing me is a...privilege?" The cadet smiled shyly. "Gee, uh, thank you?"

The cadet just noticed something: They were standing up for a long time. Mrs. Hewley could be feeling a little tired! There had to be a bench around this hallway somewhere. He thought that outside would be nice, catch some fresh air.

"Uh, ma'am?"

"I would like to have a few words with you, Zack, if that's alright with you."

"No! No, it's not a problem at all...!" Zack turned back to the office door and stared at it. "But..." He could always come back to it later, Zack thought. Angeal wouldn't be going anywhere anytime soon. If the sergeant's not there when he gets back, then he's probably on the field working with other fellow cadets. Zack took Gillian's hand and began to guide her outside. "Let's get out of this hallway, I know a perfect place where we can talk."

~*****~  
Zack for some time forgot that the school had a mini garden in back of the campus as well as a forest. The garden had a path running through it with some benches that were found right next to the rose patch. Zack offered Gillian a side of the bench and she smiled at him thankfully.

The two were silent for quite some time, taking in the marvelous scenery. It didn't seem like they were at a military camp when they actually were.

"My son," Gillian began. Zack looked at her curiously and responded with a "Hm?"

"He speaks of you in high regards."

"R-really?" Zack felt overjoyed.

"He worries...about you." Gillian looks at the cadet thoughtfully and smiled. "That's a good sign."

"Worries? Why?" Zack tilted his head to the side and blinked. "Why would he be worried about me?"

"He doesn't want you to risk your life in the war."

That's a little selfish, isn't it, mentor, the cadet thought. But...he felt happy that Angeal even cared about him enough to be so worried about a kid like him. Zack wasn't going to let go of his goal, no matter what. He wanted to do it, he wanted to risk his life and fight for the right side. Zack smirked and shook his head. "He doesn't have to worry about little ol' me. I'm nothing special."

"You're his student. And that is a strong bond, no matter what you might think, my puppy."

""puppy"?? Huh? Why did you--?" Gillian giggled and her smiled widened, those weary eyes stared into the cadet's.

"You're Angeal's little puppy. That's what he called you. You remind him of one, I can see why."

Zack couldn't believe he gave him that name. A puppy, of all things! Why not a wolf or something?! Wolves are cooler! Better! But at least puppies were cute....ugh! Forget it! It still sucks! Zack crossed his arms and frowned.

"Thanks a lot, Angeal...." he muttered.

Gillian's smile suddenly lost its radiant glow and a feeling of sorrow filled up the atmosphere. It sent shivers down Zack's spine. Gillian opened her mouth and began by saying, "In his letters..." she paused briefly before beginning. She was wondering if she should tell him. Gillian wanted her son to be happy...she had to. "there seems to be a hint of sadness. Somehow, I can feel it through the letter. It's been like this for a while now."

Zack didn't know how to reply to that. She was telling him everything about the sergeant. Why? Why did he really need to know all of this anyway? Although, he was a little bit curious. The cadet always wondered what went through Angeal's head. That told himself something...he cared for Sergeant Hewley, more than he realized.

"And...why are you telling me all this," was the boy's response. Gillian shook her head. Zack scooted closer to her and smiled at her. She could tell that he was a bit worried by the look in his eyes....man, that boy's eyes told a story to her. Gillian sighed and still, she responded by shaking her head.

"I'm just afraid for him."

"..."

"Go talk to him, not about training or anything in that nature. Just....talk to him one day. He'd like that. I'm pretty sure you two have had some conversations like that, yes?"

"Yeah...only about three times though." Zack pushed his bangs out of his eyes and sighed heavily. "I still don't understand." Gillian didn't respond. The fragile woman stood, getting ready to take her leave. The cadet immediately stood up and tried to help her while she was on her way but she refused his generous offer. He blinked.

"I'm fine, don't worry about me. I may be old, but I can still carry my weight around." She smiled at him one last time before turning her back to Zack, walking away slowly. Zack watched her leave and pondered on the words that were just said. What's going on with Angeal, he thought, shoving his hands into his pants pockets. A another sigh passed the cadet's lips and he shook his head.

"I'll talk to him...I'll say something to him later. Yeah, much later."

~************************************************************************************************************************~  
Angeal sat down at the table that was in sort of in the back of the bar and rested his head on the cold wooden table. It was nine o' clock in the evening. Finally, he could get away from his duties and just relax. Too much relaxing wasn't good, he thought. Angeal wasn't the kind of guy to just sit around and do nothing, he had to do something; it would eat away at him if he didn't work or something. Or something...

"Fancy meeting you in a place like this."

"...?" Angeal's head rose high enough just to see who was speaking to him in such a tone. That person was amused. The sergeant smiled at the stranger and shrugged. "I have to get away sometimes, now don't I? I should ask you the same question, general."

"Tch, calling me "general". We're off duty for now."

"Right back to paperwork as soon as I'm done here." Angeal sighed heavily. Sephiroth chuckled and sat down across from Sergeant Hewley. The general copied Angeal's every move. The sergeant blinked and noticed. They played that game until Angeal did something that was unlike him, causing Sephiroth to laugh out loud. More laughter came from Angeal and the two laugh for a good two minutes. The two haven't laughed like that in ages.

~******~  
Zack forced his shirt over his head and let the shirt fall over his used-to-be- naked body. He didn't know why he liked to put on his shirt before putting on his pants(and boxers) after a good shower. He had been training again, and for a good two hours just to make up what he had missed in class. The cadet sighed as he finally put on his boxers. Kunsel rolled over in his bed and looked down at his best friend. They slept in bunkbeds and Kunsel was at the top.

"You just got done working out or something, Zack? It's late."

"Not really...it's not that late at all." Zack paused and became silent. Kunsel sat up. "Angeal..."

"Huh?" The red head raised an eyebrow. "What about the guy?"

"His mother came to see me."

"...HUH? You serious?!" Kunsel leaped out of bed and landed on his feet. The red head stared directly into Zack's eyes, looking very surprised. "Then its true! He proposed to you!!"

"WHAT!? ARE YOU--?!" Zack cleared his throat. He was getting too loud and majority of the other cadets were asleep. "No, we're not getting married. What the heck is wrong with you, jumping to conclusions...Anyway," Zack propped his arms up under his head as soon as his back hit the mattress. Kunsel went back up to his bed and mimicked Zack. "she came to see me, telling me that something was off in...the sergeant's energy, so to speak."

"Nice word for it." Kunsel chuckled. Zack smirked and rolled his eyes.

"He's been..." The raven haired cadet paused. "...sad."

"..." Kunsel sat up and looked over the edge of his bed. When he looked into Zack's eyes, he could see how worried he was. He sighed and jumped down. "...Okay...? So he's sad."

"And she wants me to talk him."

"That's it? Just..."talk"?"

Zack nodded, rolled over on his side to go to sleep. "Tomorrow," he told himself. "Tomorrow is when I will do everything..."

Kunsel raised an eyebrow and scratched the back of his head. He shrugged and went back up, falling asleep moments after Zack did.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: I do not own any of the characters of FF7....only Kunsel's description. **

**Chapter Seven:**

"_So, how are things going with your "puppy"?" _

_Angeal almost choked on his water and glared at Sephiroth. "...Things are well. He's advancing faster than I thought he would be. At this rate, he'll be ready for the war."_

_"I've been meaning to talk to you about that, sergeant." Sephiroth took a sip of his beer and placed it down. Angeal noticed that he called him "sergeant". "Zack is going to war in a week." No response. The general took another sip. "Don't worry," he began." You trained him well. You do realize that, don't you?"_

"...A...week...?"

Those two words were embedded in Angeal's memory all night. The next day when he awoke in his office, his head on the desk, they came rushing back to him. He thought that they would go away if he slept but he was wrong. The sergeant was off in everything that he did that day, especially when showing cadets how to fire a gun. He kept missing until he was fed up, and threw the gun down along with the protective gear. His students didn't know what to think, they were too much in awe to saw anything. "Dismissed," he yelled out before he stormed off. Everyone was completely silent.

When his back met that grassy hill, his favorite hill in the entire academy campus, his large hands covered his face entirely. He kicked one of his legs up and crossed it over the other. Angeal's hands slid off his face and hit the grass. The wind suddenly blew a gentle breeze. The sergeant knew that it would blow. Man, did he love this spot.

"Angeal?"

A familiar voice got him to sit up, slowly. "Cadet," Angeal looked back at him with a small smile. Zack sat down next him and sat there while looking up at the sky. "Nice weather, huh?"

"Yup...!" Zack grinned and scooted closer to the sergeant. Angeal raised an eyebrow and watched his movements. "So, uh, I heard you left your students in shock?"

_Of course he heard about it,_ the older man rolled his eyes. "Cadets talk too much..." Angeal brought a hand up to his forehead and sighed. "Yeah, well...I'm not having a good start today..."

Zack inched a little closer and tilted his head. "But to leave like that, sir, you can get in trouble." The sergeant didn't reply. "...Sir?"

"...?"

"...What's wrong?" Zack's voice fell soft. Angeal's eyes slightly widened and looked at the cadet curiously, and yet thoughtfully. The boy was now hugging his knees to his chest, staring up at the sky. Zack's eyes were now on the sergeant waiting for his answer. Angeal chuckled.

"What makes you want to ask me such a thing?"

"..." The cadet was blushing, more than he realized. Angeal head tilted just a little bit to see more of his expression.

_So....so cu... _

"Snap out of it," the sergeant mumbled to himself. Zack blinked and went "Huh?" Angeal shook his head and cleared his throat. "So you're going out on the front line already."

"You've heard?!" Zack jumped up on his feet and placed his hands on his hips, his head was held high and he eyes were gazing up at the sky. Triumph was written all over the cadet's face. "Isn't that great?! My dream is coming true!"

"Heh, yeah..."

"...Although," the boy sat back down next to Angeal and sighed. He wasn't looking so upbeat anymore, he looked afraid. "I don't think that I'm ready for this. I mean, I'm still in the academy, can he really do that?"Angeal suddenly put a hand on Zack's shoulder and shook his whole body lightly. The boy looked up at him and blinked. When he saw the smile on the sergeant's face, he was suddenly at ease.

"You'll be fine," Angeal said with a soft voice. "No worries."

"...." Zack sighed and stood again. "If you say so, sergeant."

"I wouldn't be saying it if I didn't believe it."

The Private's eyes lit up and he smiled. "Thanks, Angeal." And then he ran off. The older man watched Zack until he was out of sight. He was alone again and the feeling of lonliness suddenly filled his heart, along with other emotions such as worry, fear, and anger. He lied to the boy's face and he wanted to kill himself for doing it. But why shoot down his confidence and you're the one that taught him, right? Right.

"And now," the sergeant stood after some time and took in the fresh air. "Time to get back to work...." He started to rub his shoulder blade a little bit before he left that grassy hill.

-----------------------------

"Humph. So he's getting closer to me now." He ran his hand down the tree trunk slowly, it fell to his side like it was a weight falling to the ground. He leaned on the trunk and watched the sergeant walk away from the spot...where they almost made love. Oh how he loved it when their lips collided, the sweet moans that were rising in the sergreant's throat. Just thinking about it...

Genesis smirked and began to chuckle to himself. "In due time," he said. "You will be mine, Angeal Hewley. After all," he pushed himself away from the tree lightly and started to walk in the other direction. With each step he took, the grass underneath his feet started to fade away. _"You could never leave your best friend alone to fight the good fight..."_

-----------------------------

His hair fell into his eyes as he reread all of the paperwork that he just went through. The general's eyes were getting weary by the minute; he hasn't slept in two whole days. Everything that was going on was giving Sephiroth a headache and gave him unecessary stress...though, loosing this battle is something to stress about. He sighed and took off his glasses. He set them down on the desk and rested his head in his palm, thinking in silence. Sephiroth's mind suddenly went to one focus: Angeal and Genesis.

Should he be worried about the two and their past connection? Will Angeal go to the other side after all...because he believes that Genesis can take the pain away? Well, he had it too, the same agonizing pain that tormented him for hours and hours, but he never gave into it.

"Angeal," he suddenly said. "Are you really that weak after all...?"

_No, Angeal's honor won't let him follow Genesis, I have to believe that....I have to. _

A knock on his door. He looks up at the door and fixes his posture. "Come in."

"General," said Tseng. Sephiroth told him to come in and close the door behind him. He did as he was told and gave the general another stack of reports. "These are from Lazard, sir. This is the latest news." Sephiroth sighed heavily and flipped through the papers.

"Thank you, lieutenant."

"...how is that boy's progress?" Tseng cleared his throat and stared down at the floor. The general blinked but then smirked.

"Zack is going to do fine."

"But can you really believe that?"

"You don't see his potential, do you?"

"I don't." The lieutenant's eyes locked with Sephiroth's. " He's still naiive on what's really going on beyond these walls. He has nothing but the ignorance of a small child." The general shook his head and looked back down at the paperwork. He skimmed one of the reports slowly. Tseng felt that he wasn't listening to him anymore and turned his back to Sephiroth. His hand met the door knob and he looked back before opening the door.

"The boy stays."

Tseng frowned at his statement and left the general's office.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: I do not own any of the FF7 characters...only Kunsel's description. **

The rain continued to fall. It rolled down the window glass slowly and then its speed increased when it neared the bottom. His room was dark, he refused to turn on the light. He liked to watch the rain in the dark, from his desk. But...something was keeping him from watching the rain. Angeal was constantly rubbing his shoulder blade over and over again, wishing for the pain to cease for a day. He never got what he wanted when it came to that. He still continued to watch the rain fall, trying to keep his mind off of the pain and focus on the sound of the rain hit the rooftop.

The sergeant's mind suddenly became blank. Everything he was thinking about, gone. He didn't want to think anymore, not today. He wanted to relax today and get away from what was bothering him. All of his worries, he wanted to bring to a close...just for one day.

_"...What's wrong?"_

"Go away."

He started to remember the way he sounded to him. A worried tone that reminded him of his mother. Why was he the only thing that he couldn't block from his mind?

_"You're in love."_

"I can't be, mother." Angeal brought hand up to shield his eyes from the dim light that came from the window. The sound of the rain rang louder in his ears, just like he wanted it too. "I can't be in love with a...a kid." His hand slid off of his face and fell to his side. "He's my student....!"

_"Tell you what, look into Zack's eyes one day and tell yourself that you're not in love with him." _

A familiar boy was suddenly running outside in the pouring rain. He spinned around it, laughing, along with another cadet. They both just continued to wlak together in it without haiving a care in the world. "Zack," the sergeant allowed his name to pass through his lips. When he said it, he started to feel calm, more collected.

_"...What's wrong?"_

"Everything is wrong, Zack....I'm wrong."

**Chapter Eight: **

"I can't believe it, man! Both you and me are going to the front line! I didn't even know that the general could pull some strings like that." Kunsel laughed out loud and flipped his soaked hair out of his eyes. Zack shook his head wildly as if he were a dog. They continued to stand outside though they got out of the rain. "We did it, man."

"We did." Zack smiled at Kunsel and they just stared off into the scenery. Seeing the rain fall like this was just amazing to them, hypnotizing them. "I didn't know that he recommended you though, Kunsel. I was really surprised when you told me. Your father would be proud."

"Yeah...he would be." The red head smiled up to the sky. "You hear that, pa?!" he yelled up to the sky. "I DID IT!" Zack patted his back, laughing a little. "Oh yeah."

"Huh?"

"Did you ever talk to that sergeant?"

"....huh?"

"You forgot about your lover? That's sad, Zack. That's very, very sad." Kunsel tsked him and waved his finger in Zack's face. "You said that you were going to go "talk" to him to help him through his depression...?"

"...OH!" Zack took Kunsel's hand and shook it wildly. He shook his hair wildly once more before running off to his mentor's office. Kunsel saw fire in his eyes when he reminded him. He hated it, but...

_He really likes that guy, doesn't he?_

"Angeal?" Zack had knocked on the door more than five times already. The sergeant's door was locked this time. That was...unusual. He would just leave his office door open unless he wasn't in. Was he gone? The cadet continued to ask himself these questions and stand there in front of the sergeant's office. He knocked on it one more time.

"...."

He got nothing. Zack sighed. He gave up, for now, and slowly walked away. "What's up with that," he mumbled. He puts his hands into his pockets and continues to walk, deep in thought. Little did he know that Angeal was there. The sergeant couldn't answer the door, he was afraid to. If he did, then he would suddenly pull the boy close and hold him tight, never wanting to let him go. The pain that he was feeling was driving him insane. He needed him, Angeal thought, to keep himself at ease.

He was afraid to need him.

"Z-zack..."

He stood up from his seat and went for the door. His hand met the doorknob...

---------------

"Was he in there?" Kunsel looked up from his manga book and watched Zack close the door behind him. The raven haired cadet shook his head and sighed,

"His door was locked."

"And that's a problem?" Kunsel jumped down from his top bunk and joined Zack on his bed. The two let their backs hit the mattress and propped their arms up under their heads. Zack nodded in response. The look in Zack's eyes...it wasn't a good one. So much worry for this..._man _that could take care of himself. Kunsel was trying not to show his frustration for the sergeant's interferrence in their lives. Zack suddenly rolled over onto his side and said nothing else.

"What's going on with you...Angeal...?"

The red head bit his bottom lip and got out of Zack's bed. He stared at his back for a while before climbing back up to his top bunk. He burried himself in all of his covers and forced his eyes shut. He was going to sleep.

--------------

He felt an intense heat rise up in his chest. His body went tumbling down. He yet reached up for the doorknob to open the door to call for help. It was coming, he could feel it. Angeal didn't want this pain anymore, he needed Zack now. He needed to be in his arms, his warmth...his smile.

His shoulder throbbed sending a sharp pain throughout his entire body. The sergeant cletched his teeth and tried to get up. With every move he made, his shoulder sent out a strong pulse. It was really coming...

"N-no...n-not yet...!" Angeal continued to reach up for the handle, no matter how much pain he was in. "I need...I need...!"

"Salvation?" Angeal let out a cry of agony when a foot landed on his shoulder blade. "You should have came to me sooner, my friend. And now look at the mess you're in."

"Gene...si--" The sergeant yelped out in pain as Genesis dug his heel into his shoulder blade. The extreme pain caused Angeal to shake uncontrollably. The villian laughed and watched him squirm around.

"You better make your choice here and now, Angeal." Genesis removed his foot and glided over to ther sergeant's desk. He sat on the edge of it and crossed his legs, awaiting Angeal's answer. The sergeant struggled to get up on his feet, but he actually did it this time. He used the door for his support and leaned his back on it. His hand fumbled with the doorknob but he could not get it to open. Genesis tsked him. He tilted his head and watched Angeal's actions. Was he still trying to call his "**puppy**"...?

"It's useless. The boy is sound asleep in his bed. I saw him."

Angeal didn't listen to him. He finally got the door to open, but the door suddenly shut own its own. He glared at the traitor with weary eyes and slid back down to the floor. Angeal's head hung low and his eyes closed. He needed to calm down and think. Genesis sighed heavily as he pushed himself off of the desk to join Angeal on the floor. He crawled over to the sergeant on his hands and knees and climbed over Angeal's legs. He grabbed a handful of his hair and yanked his head up. Angeal was starting to loose consciousness after feeling so much stress on his body. Genesis smiled and gently kissed the sergeant's lips. "Make your choice, Mr. Hewley...."

"I...will not...j-join you..." Angeal's eyes were trying to force themselves open. "You...are...a traitor."

"Still keeping your honor until the end, I see." Genesis sneered. "Well then..._fine._" He flipped his hair out of his eyes and let go of Angeal's hair. The sergeant's head fell back down and he moaned in agony. Genesis stood and began to walk toward the window. "I'll leave you to your suffering." The villain vanished without a trace. Angeal's muffled cries suddenly came forth. He fell over on his side and continued to cry out for his puppy to come to his side.

--------------

"Hey, Angeal!" Zack calls out to his mentor and jogs up behind him. Angeal's back is turned to him but Zack didn't mind. He propped his arms up behind his head as he came to a slow down. "What are going to do today? More shooting ?Using a bayonet today???" The sergeant doesn't respond. His head is lefted up to the sky as if he was deep in thought. The cadet blinked and tapped the older man on the shoulder. Angeal turns his head a little bit. Zack steps a little closer to him.

"Hey, are you okay?" Angeal finally turns around to face him with deep contentment in his eyes. His hand falls down on Zack's head and he ruffles the cadet's hair. Zack was surprised at first, but then he began to laugh. He looked up at his superior with a shy smile on his face, their eyes locking. The look on the sergeant's face changed. His eyes, they were full of sorrow...why?

"Angeal...?"

No more words were said. Their lips slowly met. The hand that was still resting on Zack's head grabbed a handful of hair and pulled him closer, the other slid down Zack's side and wrapped around him. There was so much desire coming from the sergeant, so much desire that Zack was in a state of shock.

But...

He found himself responding to everything. The cadet's hands were suddenly gripping at Angeal's shirt. He was pulling the older man closer to him just as the sergeant was doing to him. His hands began to shake a little, he couldn't breath. But he didn't want to stop now, it felt...good. Angeal suddenly pulled away from Zack's lips and stared into his eyes. Zack was staring back. The cadet's eyes closed slowly and reopened; a tear suddenly rolled down his cheek. The sergeant saw this and cupped the boy's face in his hand. He wiped the tear away and kissed Zack on the forehead.

_Angeal...your lips are...so warm. _

Angeal's hand slid off of the cadet's face and he turned his back to him. Zack blinked. Was he leaving?

"S-sir?"

He did not turn around or even pause in his walk. He was getting further and further away and Zack started to walk after him. The boy's feet were moving, but he wasn't going anywhere. Zack walked faster and he still got the same results. The cadet reached his hand out for his mentor and started to run. "Sergeant! Where are you going!? H-hey!"

Still, no response, not even a glance.

"Look at me! Stop! Wait! Sergeant!"

_Don't leave me...Don't leave me...!!_

"ANGEAL, WAIT!!"

----

...Well, yeah. :3 Review, do something, lol.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: I do not own any of the FF7 characters...only Kunsel's description.**

**Chapter Nine:**

"It....it was just a dream."

Tears rolled down his face slowly. Zack stared down at the bed sheets, his eyes were still very clouded with the tears that were waiting to fall. Kunsel heard his friend stirring in his bed and looked over the edge. "Hey," he sounded worried. "You alright down there...?"

"I had this weird dream," Zack wiped his eyes. Kunsel was listening. His mind didn't form any words, it only drew to a blank. The raven haired cadet continued to stare down at his white sheets and shifted to another position in the bed. He was now hugging his knees, pondering. "And...it did have Angeal in it."

_Oh, perfect. Now he's dreaming about the guy_. Kunsel didn't want to hear this, he was already fed up with their relationship. Isn't that some type of rape anyway?

"He was...leaving...."

Kunsel's lips curled into a smile. _Good_, he thought. _That's really good. _

"And..." Zack started off. The red head cleared his throat and yet continued to listen. He saw Zack wipe his eyes again before they fell to his side lifelessly. "I was chasing after him, but he was way out of my reach. I was--."

_Wait,_ Zack suddenly stopped talking. What did this mean? It may have been a dream but it felt so real to him. His fingers brushed against his own lips and he shuddered as he remembered the kiss that they shared. Of course, it was only in his dream...

His blue eyes gazed over at the window. Zack was staring pass the glass and into the scenery, everything seemed so gloomy, eery. And yet, it was so beautiful to watch the rain give life to the trees, the grass, the random flowers-maybe weeds- that sprouted all over the place. He could actually see the sergeant's office from his room. Zack eyes wandered to the left a little and stared at that office. He was focusing , with all his might, to find some sign of life. Was the sergeant in there?

"..."

------------------------------

"Zack...please...help..."

Angeal was holding onto whatever he had left: his honor and his will. His will was starting to fail him now, the pain was getting stronger and stronger. He bit his bottom lip to prevent himself from screaming, though there were tears slowly escaping his eyes to replace them. His heart was starting to pump harder and faster, his mind was drawing to a blank for he did not know what to do. It was consuming him.

"Damn...it..."

He was struggling to stand once again. He used the bookshelf to help himself up, but he failed to get up successfully and almost took the bookshelf down with him. He held the shelf up with one hand, some books were falling out of place and down the floor. Angeal was back where started. He had no choice put to crawl towards his destination: the window.

_"How long, my friend, are you going to keep tormenting yourself...?"_

"Shut up...!" The sergeant yelled. The voice laughed, it echoed. Angeal felt his flesh being torn into two. It was trying to push through the surface at a faster pace, but then it slowed down and increased Angeal's suffering. The sound of it starting to break through his skin, the sweat and tears the sergeant continued to go through. He let out a cry, louder than he had ever done before.

_It burns...it....the pain....make it go away!!_

He screamed.

The lightning of the storm crashed, the thunder roared. The rain began to beat down on the academy, the trees, the grass with the power of the wind helping with every striking blow. He was screaming through it all. His feet kicked around the books that layed on the floor, his arms were holding himself, trying to bear the pain. He couldn't. Louder and louder he screamed with each passing second. No one could hear him in that room. No one was around. His flesh was still ripping. The feeling of something breaking through the barrier happened. His head flew back. His blood splattered and squirted. It dripped, it wasn't completely free. Angeal was gasping for breath, he couldn't breathe. The pain, make it stop, he thought...but it was almost over. It was half way over....

_Angeal...._

The voice. _His _voice. He shook his head slowly trying to block it out of his head.

_But...but salvation! _

_No, it was a lie, Angeal! _

Did he really care if it was a lie or not?

He reached up, reached up high, for his desk. He scrambled to stand, sharp pain strikes him down even more. The sergeant presses on. He was soon standing on his two weary feet. He stared out of the window at the rain, at how the tree swayed back and forth because of the wind. This room was a prision...this place was a prision. "Sal..salvation...?"

Yes...there it was. It was out of those four walls; out of those four walls was salvation. Angeal stared with wide eyes at the truth of it all. Should he drop it all...? Should he forget?

His heart pounded loudly in his chest. The beast that has been tamed for so long finally wants to come out.

_Set him loose. _


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten:**

The sergeant's body hit the grass with a loud thud, his feet were slipping in the mud. The rain wasn't on his side at all, it was keeping him down. He wiped the glass off of his body slowly. He crawled away from his office window at a nice and slow pace. It was still trying to break free...and now was the right time. Angeal stopped in mid crawl and stared up at the sky. The rain beated down on his face, down his chin, traveled down his neck. He shivered roughly as he felt it coming.

_"...What's wrong?"_

Zack's voice was suddenly ringing in his head again. What for...? A reminder...?

A reminder of what...?

He nearly screamed as it tried to stretch out even though it wasn't all the way out yet. Angeal grimaced. He didn't move his body ever again, for that moment. It was too much for him to bear...

"You poor thing..."

Genesis was standing right in front of him, his own wing out to show that he too was cursed and that the sergeant was of course now alone. He lifts the man's head up so that their eyes could meet. "There's no need for you to suffer anymore," he said in a calm and peaceful voice. Angeal believed him. It was tearing out of his flesh again, the sound of it made the sergeant cringed; the feeling of it pushing out of his back made him cry out in agony. Genesis still held up his head and forced Angeal to look at him. "It's alright," he spoke again. "It's over."

Angeal screamed. It was out. It's color was white, feathers were being forced down by the rain to the ground. Genesis smiled down at the sergeant and his wing automatically began to shield them both from the pouring rain. When Genesis bent down to his level wrapped Angeal in a warm embrace, the pain began to subside...Angeal was at peace. The white wing twitched before it closed and rested on its master's back waiting for its command to fly. The sergeant commanded nothing. He fell unconscious.

"Hm...looks like _I_ win after all." Genesis said to himself. He glanced over at the academy building and saw a pair of familar eyes glaring at him. "Goodbye...Sephiroth."

The traitor and the sergeant soon vanished without a trace. Sephiroth just stood there by the door in silence. The general felt something in chest completely shatter as well as his will to stay under control of his emotions. "You...pro..."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The door hits the ground with a loud thud. The room, he sees, is covered in dry blood, some of it was still fresh. The window was completely shattered, blood stained the glass as well. A feather was resting there on the floor in front of him. Zack picked up the lone feather and stepped into the room. He saw the sergeant staring out into the window not too long ago...Angeal held this expression that confused the cadet but he knew that something wasn't right. He raced down to the sergeant's office and it was locked. He had to froce it open by breaking it down, and now to see this terrified him.

"Angeal...where did you...?"

_Did he break the window open and...oh no. _

Zack ran out of the office with the feather still in his grasp and pushed through the academy doors into the pouring rain. "Angeal!" he called out for his mentor. No response. "Angeal, where are you!?!" He paced to the sergeant's office and examined the outside of it. There was a trail where it looked like the sergeant crawled. He followed the path but then it quickly stopped. Angeal didn't get very far, but why did it just up and vanish...?

"Zack?"

The cadet whipped his head around. It was only Kunsel and a look of disappointment showed on the cadet's face. Kunsel knew what he was doing and frowned. He glanced over at the shattered window and a sinister grin appeared on his face. When Zack turned around to talk to Kunsel it automatically went away. The grin was replaced with a worried expression and Zack believed it. "He's...he's not here...." The raven haired cadet felt his eyes starting to burn from tears. "I don't...I don't understand, he was just here..!!"

"Zack...let it go, man. He's gone." Kunsel said, trying not to sound overjoyed. Now nothing stood between them anymore! But Zack refused to listen. "No!" he yelled. "I can't give up searching for him, not yet!"

"He's obviously not around here, Zack! You're wasting your time!" Kunsel yelled back. His friend fell silent and his head suddenly hung low. He won. The red head wandered over to the pained boy and wrapped his arm around his shoulder. "Come on, let's go back inside...we'll catch a cold out here in this rain...."

"...a-alright..." Zack finally said. The two of them went back inside and said nothing to each other, not even when they reached their room.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The general's hands were flying in all directions, destroying anything that they could get their hands on. The books, the paperwork, the pencil holder, the window blinds. He almost let out an enraged scream but held it back. Sephiroth suddenly laid eyes on a photograph: it contained all of them...Genesis, Angeal, and himself. They were all smiling, arms wrapped around each other in their cadet uniforms. "We made it," he remembered Genesis saying years ago. All Angeal did was nod and look at Sephiroth with a content look on his face. He remembered that he himself began to grin and he was the one that pulled them into a picture in the first place.

The memory now disgusted the general. There was no such thing as "we" anymore for them. The memory now meant nothing...

A bright light suddenly emitted from the general's hand, he aimed it at the photograph and whatever power that came from him flew out and striked the photo with alot of force. The glass shattered and the bright light set the picture on fire. Sephiroth watched it burn with great sorrow in his green eyes and looked away. He calmly sat back down at his desk and then continued to watch it burn.

The office door suddenly flew open. Tseng heard all of the commotion from down the hall and rushed to the general's office as quickly as he could. "W-what's going on in here?! What..." He sees the burning photograph and feels that he should put it out. But he didn't. "...What's wr--"

"He's gone." The flame blew out. Tseng didn't quite understand what he meant.

"..."

"And I thought...that I had nothing to worry about." Sepiroth begun to laugh. This worried his Lieutenant alot. "He said that he wouldn't follow him...and he _lied_."

_"I'm not going anywhere."_

"Why did I ever believe him, huh? What the hell was the POINT?!" Sephiroth got out of his chair, picked it up and threw it against the wall. It was completely broken which shocked Tseng. The way the general spoke...his voice wall full of sorrow and anger. He was betrayed, again. "Everything...everything went wrong..." Sephiroth's voice began to crack. He felt his eyes burn with unfallen tears and turned away from the lieutenant. "Please...leave me."

"..." Tseng did as he was told and quietly left the general's office.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: **Alright, this is my first real yaoi scene...so, uh, bear with me. =_='' I suck, okay?? DON'T JUDGE ME!! DDD:

**I don't not own any of the FF7 characters, only Kunsel's description. **

**Chapter Eleven:**

Angeal slowly opened his eyes. What welcomed him was a dim light and the smell of cinnamon in the air. He was laying down in a comfy bed with red bed sheets and matching pillows that were way too comfy. It felt like a trap to him and he wanted to get up. The sergeant tried to move and to his surprise, he wasn't in pain. He sat up, slowly and carefully, and looked around the room. The room itself was a nice size. Its walls were also a dark shade of red and there was a bathroom in the room as well, double doors. On the walls were pieces of art that Angeal really couldn't understand the message of, but then again, art wasn't really his thing. The room was...oddly peaceful.

"Hello there, sleepy head." Genesis was laying down next to him with the book LOVELESS in his possession. He was reading and then wrote something down in a notebook that was also in his possession and was laying down right beside him. Angeal didn't reply to Genesis and only got out of bed. Genesis smirked and closed the book after putting a bookmark in it. "What, no hello, hm? You've been sleeping for the past two days."

"Where are we?" Angeal finally said as he turned to Genesis. His "friend" smiled at him with gentle eyes and replied.

"We're in my house."

"Your...house?" Angeal blinked. Genesis nodded and got up out of bed. He looked at Angeal up and down and chuckled at the fact that the sergeant didn't have a shirt on, or at least that he didn't notice it yet. "You hungry," Genesis suddenly asked and walked passed Angeal. Angeal followed him out and saw that there was no kitchen table, only a small round table and a comfy couch by the looks of it. "All I have right now is instant ramen, I hope you don't mind." Genesis was putting a ramen cup into the microwave and traveled to the couch where he sat down but then decided to lay down. Angeal cleared his throat suddenly.

"No, ramen is fine, I guess."

"Good," his friend said in a cheerful tone. Angeal was all of a sudden smiling at the man that he clamed to be his enemy...did they go back to being friends now that Genesis had just basically saved him from....

"Come over here and sit down, Hewley." Genesis's voice interrupted his train of thought but he did as he was told. He sat down at the edge of the couch since Genesis was laying on it. He glanced back at him and was about to say something but the words wouldn't form. "Yes...?" Genesis asked as if he could read Angeal's mind. "Is there something that you wanted to say?"

"..."

"Why I "saved" you, correct?" Genesis sat up and scooted closer to the sergeant. He laid his head on his shoulder and said simply, "Because I couldn't stand to watch my best friend suffer."

"Heh, this coming from the guy who kicked me and dug his heel into my shoulder." Angeal wasn't convinced. Genesis pouted.

"Fine, don't believe me...." He touched Angeal's face and turned his head so that they could look at each other. "But shouldn't you be grateful, sergeant, hm?"

"..." Angeal felt their foreheads touch and almost lost his words. Being this close to Genesis kind of...made him uncomfortable...or was it discomfort at all? "I should be," Angeal finally said. "But you left us after we promis--"

"We're not children anymore." Genesis suddenly got up and went to go get his ramen, the microwave went off some time ago. Angeal sighed heavily. "We've grown up, Angeal and there's no need to continue going on silly "promises"." Genesis went in a drawer and grabbed some chopsticks. He sat back down on the couch. "Let's not talk about this right now..."

"Oh, and when are we going to talk about it?" Angeal said in a annoyed tone. Genesis shrugged. Angeal knew that meant: "Never in this lifetime." "Okay....fine." Genesis looked up from his food and saw that Angeal was frowning. He would always frown like that when he never gets his way and when he gives up on an argument between him and Genesis. The villain smiled and put down his cup of ramen and scooted closer to the sergeant once more to lay his head on his shoulder. Angeal suddenly found himself resting his head on Genesis's, both of them sighed in union. The brunette started to chuckle.

"You never change, Angeal."

"...." The sergeant shrugged and went, "Whatever."

"Aren't you going to make your ramen," Genesis suddenly asked. Angeal blinked. He forgot all about it and got up to make it but he was pulled back down by his "friend". "We can share mine," he insisted and Angeal didn't feel like saying "no". Genesis ate half of it and gave the rest to Angeal but that didn't fill either of them up, the sergeant wasn't about to complain.

"Thanks..." Angeal said. Genesis nodded and just set the cup down on the round table. The brunette suddenly pulled Angeal down on the couch. The sergeant was surprised but didn't mind his back being on the soft cushions of the couch. Genesis then crawled on top of his old friend and stared down at him with a blank expression on his face.

"Do you still love **him**...?"

"...." Angeal didn't understand. "Love **who**?"

"Do you still love him..." Genesis asked again. "Your **cadet**....?"

Angeal raised an eyebrow. "**What** cadet?"

A smile curled up on the villain's lips. "Huh? You **don't** remember your Zack Fair...?" Angeal suddenly had an irritated expression his face. He pulled Genesis by his collar, their lips brushed against each others before Angeal replied.

_"Cadet _____, huh?"_

"Why should I remember someone that I** don't** know...?"

Genesis was satisfied with that answer and brought his lips down on Angeal's. They kissed each other roughly and yet passionately as if they weren't going to see each other again and that it was their last night to be together. Angeal broke the kiss and flipped Genesis over so that he could dominate the situation. Genesis had took off his own shirt so he could save Angeal all the trouble of doing so.

Angeal worked on Genesis's pants while he playfully kissed Genesis's neck, moans of satisfaction came from the brunette and he helped Angeal by kicking the pants off of himself. The sergeant layed himself deeper in between Genesis's legs, his hand ran up and down his partner's stomach. Large hands, Genesis thought as let out a small "mew". Genesis ran his fingers through the sergeant's hair, his hair was soft as always.

He began to remember when they did it for the first time. Angeal was the one that was always on top and Genesis couldn't ask for anything better. He remembered what it felt like to have a warm hand pump his member roughly but it was because didn't know what he was doing in the first place. Angeal's thumb would circle around the very tip of Genesis's penis then would press down on his cock, continuing to rub him roughly. Genesis's back would arch in a way that Angeal knew that he was doing something right and didn't stop.

He was much better now, everything about him was better. Genesis suddenly felt something brush against his cock. Angeal's lips. Genesis was now reliving the moment that they shared when they were just getting enrolled into ShinRa academy. Rhapsodos gasped. His member was now inside of the sergeant's mouth. Angeal's tongue teasingly stroked Genesis.

"Ah..." Genesis was in eternal bliss. The brunette's hands lost themselves in Angeal's hair, squeezing it. Genesis was begging for more. "Nn...An...geal..." The sergeant was sucking him fast, rough, skillfully. He moaned himelf when Genesis pushed his head down more and began thrusting. _He's definitely much better than he was years ago_, thought Genesis. He never really thought that they would be doing this again, ever, but you can't foresee the future.

The sergeant suddenly stopped sucking, and pulled back. Genesis was in shock. Was he really just teasing him this whole time?

"This couch," Angeal began. "It's too small..." He was stroking Genesis's cock gently, his words trailed off as if he were deep in thought.

"Nn...wha...?" Genesis could hardly focus on what Angeal was saying. Angeal took another taste of Genesis's fully lengthened penis, licking it once more. "Uh...!" Angeal smirked at the reaction. Genesis felt his body being lifted up...he knew where they were going.

----

**A/N:** Uuuh...lol Yeah. XDD" If you got confused, I don't blame you, but I think I got confused writing it which is not a good thing. =/

But, uh, yeah, please keep reading and review or something!


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: ****I don't not own any of the FF7 characters, only Kunsel's description. **

**Chapter Twelve:**

_It's been too long..._

Zack fired the gun. He wasn't particularly aiming for the target, but he did hit it. Angeal's words continued to ring in his ears as he fired the gun each time. "Focus is key," Zack remembered him saying. The cadet slowly lowered his gun and stared off into the distance.

"Three days...three whole days..." he mumbled. He set the gun down and took off the head gear. He did his rounds and it was time to move on. "Angeal, where did you go?" The cadet asked out loud as his eyes locked back onto the sky.

"Still stressing about Sergeant Hewley?" Kunsel was behind him, he had just got done with his target practice as well. Zack turned his head when he heard his friend's voice and sighed. Kunsel shook his head and placed his hands on Zack's shoulders. "You're worried about a military, a **MILITARY **man, who is twice your size, mind you, and scares people just by looking in their direction, even if he wasn't looking at them!"

When Zack heard Kunsel say that, he smiled. A man who is twice my size turned out to be a big softy. He learned quite a bit about the sergeant when he used to talk with him while he was cleaning the sergeant's office. Stories of Angeal's life back in his hometown, Banora, and a few things would slip about him, the general and Genesis...

_Genesis..._

"Yeah, well, big men can get into jams too." Zack shrugged. "Nothing wrong with being worried about a superior officer."

"Look, for as long as we've been here, who really gives a damn about anyone who is in authority?" There was a pause. "**Only **you, Zack."

Zack looked up at the sky once more, contemplating Kunsel's words. Was that really true...?

"You might as well say that you're _**in**_ love with the guy," the red head added. He sounded disgusted about the whole idea. Zack made no sudden movement. He didn't jump nor did he tense up. Zack kept gazing up at the sky with a content look on his face.

"...in love, huh?"

Kunsel's eyes widened. "...Y-you're not going to deny it??" Zack finally looked at Kunsel. The red head became troubled as he thought about what Zack might say. Will he deny it or will he admit that he loves...no! It can't be true! It isn't true!

Zack suddenly began to smile, he started to walk away. Why didn't I deny it, Zack thought. As he continued to walk, he soon passed by Angeal's office window. It was still shattered and the glass on the ground remained untouched. The cadet got closer to the window until he was able to touch the window sill, and stared into the room. His blue eyes continued to scan the room over and over again, searching for another sign. Zack started to remember the look in the sergeant's eyes, the locked door, the window, Gillian's words about Angeal and his letters...they held sorrow. And...

"The feather."

What was with that? Out of everything, that was the onlt that remained untainted by blood. Where did it come from, and could it be related to Angeal's disappearance?

The cadet lingered by the window a little bit longer before walking away. It just all didn't make sense to him, but maybe....maybe to someone else. Who could he ask about this, and who would know the meaning of the white feather?

That's it. Zack knew who he was going to see.

-----------

"A white feather, you say?" Sephiroth was facing the window in his new chair. He didn't turn around to see the cadet, and Zack found that to be kind of irritating. This was a serious matter and yet the general wouldn't face him!

"Yeah. It was just lying there on the floor, while the whole room itself was just a wreck."

The general suddenly whirled the chair around and folded his hands in his lap. He seemed to be interested but you couldn't tell with the general sometimes. "Zack," the older man began. "I want to drop this."

"What..??"

"Drop this whole case about the missing sergeant, alright? This is not something that you should be putting your nose into." Sephiroth got up from his chair and traveled over to his bookcase. The cadet's eyes were burning holes in the back of head, he could feel it, but it didn't matter. Sephiroth turned around to meet the boy's furious gaze. "It's way too over your head, you wouldn't like what you hear."

"Look, are you his friend or not?!" Zack snapped. The general raised an eyebrow. "I came to you because you know more about Angeal than I do...and yet you don't even want to help him!"

"As I said before, you don't understand the entire situation."

Zack slammed his fist down on the desk, knocking several items down to the floor. "Then help me to understand! Or are you just too stubborn and think that this sort of thing is beneath you?"

Sephiroth's eyes narrowed. "You dare take that tone with me, boy?" The general grabbed Zack's wrist and squeezed it tightly. Zack didn't flinch at all. He and the general then began to stare into each other's eyes, trying to understand each other's motives, why they did the things they did, and over this. "When I say that this is none of your business, I mean it. And trust me when I say this: When people of authority leave here, they don't come back."

"What??" Zack's eyes widened. "What do you..." He felt the grip on his wrist loosen and saw the general sit back down at his desk. He whirled his chair around again to gaze out of the window. Zack continued to stand there, not understanding what he meant. They don't come back?? Why, why didn't they? They proved their loyalty to this side and then they go and fight along side the enemy?

The raven haired boy finally gave up on trying to understand and turned to walk out.

"You have three more days before you go to Wutai. Don't forget it."

Zack glanced back at the general and said softly, "...yes sir."The cadet walked down the empty hallways of the academy in silence. When he heard semi-heavy foot steps, he would look up with a joyful expression his face, hoping, wishing that it was his sergeant...but it wasn't, of course it wasn't. He stopped right next to a window and stared out of it, looking down at the sergeant's office from an angle.

"Will you really not come back to this side?" Zack said out loud. His hand pressed against the glass as he spoke once more. "Will you really abandon me, before I go to battle in Wutai...the one person who keeps my confidence up..." His forehead met the cold glass as he continued to stare down, sadness swelling up in his stomach. "You're not even going to see me off...what if this the last time I'll ever be alive, then what...?!" Zack then punched the glass. "I should have talked with you more, I could have maybe helped you....!" He punched it again, with much more force. He winced in pain but he continued to punch the glass repeatedly, cursing his mentor's name and cursing at himself.

"Angeal..."

----

_"Angeal...!" called out a voice. It sounded young, happy. Angeal looked around for the source...ah, there he was. The boy called for him again, reaching out to the sergeant; Angeal reached out to him as well. Heir hands collided at last and he smiled. He looked up at the boy to look him in the eyes..._

_He didn't have any._

_He didn't have a nose, he didn't have eyes, eyebrows...none of that. His lips, though, remained. _

_**"Angeal..."**_

He woke up. Angeal ran his hand through his tangled black hair, then wiped his face. He was drenched in sweat, but that dream was nothing to get worked up over...was it? Angeal looked down at the figure that was resting his head on the sergeant's chest, Angeal couldn't help but smile at him.

"Angeal...?"

The sergeant jumped when he heard his friend spoke. Genesis lifted up his head to look at the sergeant and yawned.

"What's wrong?"

For a moment, Angeal stared into Genesis's eyes, suddenly getting his thoughts all jumbled up. He licked his lips before responding. "Nothing, nothing at all."

---

**A/N:** Please review~!


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N:** Alright, here we go. This will be in Zack's POV this chapter.

**I don't not own any of the FF7 characters, only Kunsel's description. **

"Come on, you're gonna make it." I said to him in a whisper. He was on my back. His eyes were barely open and his mouth hung open slightly. It seemed as if he were lifeless, but I could still feel him breathing, but hardly at all. The rain poured down on our heads as I trecked forward. The wound in my shoulder suddenly began to burn but I kept him up high, not letting him go.

"You're gonna make it," I said to him yet again, and still I recieved no response.

**Chapter Thirteen:**

_"Don't worry," I said to myself. "You finally made it out here, to where the action really lies, to where its nothing but life or death." _

_I was starting to get cold feet , now that I was there, but do I really have a choice to back out of it now? _

_No, it wasn't an option. I signed up for this and I was going to stick with it. _

_I sighed heavily and looked around in the __Stryker __that I was in. The other soldiers were silent, all probably thinking about their families, how much they want to go home, or how willing they are to give their life on the field, even if they don't make it. All held a blank expression, even when the __Stryker __ran over a bumpy and rocky trail. The __Stryker __suddenly stopped and our captain looked at us all with a stern look on his face. He loudly stated his orders so that he could be heard over the sounds of war. Every soldier listened with the mindset of succeeding their leader's commands and living to see another day._

_...all but one. _

_His helmet looked like it covered half of his face. His blonde hair could be seen on the sides of his pale, war painted face. His eyes were so blue and so full of fear, confusion. The young man's body was shaking as he tried to listen to the orders that were being said. I couldn't help but notice him, this guy. What was he doing on the battle field and how far will he go like that? _

_"Move out!" _

_We all began to rush out of the __Stryker__, one by one, all staying close behind to each other. The blonde and I were the last two to exit the __Stryker__ and I instantly caught up with my squadrin. I looked back to see if the boy was following me: he didn't move at all. The squad car drove away, leaving the boy out there in the open, a bullet wanting to take him out. I cursed under my breath and quickly ran back to him. _

_"Come on!" The blue fearful eyes stared back at me as I grabbed his wrist and forced him to run. I got behind him and pushed him to make sure that he moved. "Move, move, move!"_

_"I-I can't!"_

_More words strained to leave my throat as I continued to push him forward. _

_"What's your name," I asked him once we were away from the line of fire. His bright blue eyes gazed up at me. His small lips began to quiver, as if he was under pressure. _

_"Cloud...Cloud Strife."_

_I never forgot his name, nor how he looked at that moment. He seemed too shaken up for me to just leave him out there by himself in the first place, though I couldn't really say that he wouldn't get hurt. I said to him, "I got your back." A small smile appeared on Cloud's lips. He looked so relieved to hear that someone wouldn't let him die in this horrible place because he knew that he really wasn't capable of protecting himself to the fullest. _

_"Geez, how'd you lose your squadrin so easily?" Kunsel scoffed at me and loaded his gun. Cloud and I were sitting down, checking our own weapons for anything that we may need. The blond's hands fumbled with the rifle nervously and dropped it on the ground. Thank god that it didn't go off. I sighed and picked the gun up, handing it back to him. He stared down at it, biting down on his lip nervously and took it from me. He didn't fumble around with it ever again. _

_"I was...sidetracked." I replied at last. The red head glanced over at me. _

_"This is not the place to be "sidetracked", Fair."_

_"Yeah, don't you think that I know that?" I pinched the bridge of my nose, then let my hand slide off of my painted face. "I was making sure that this guy didn't get shot."_

_Cloud had jumped. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him look up at me. He was ashamed of himself and hung his head down low. Guilt was in his blue eyes and his hands all of a sudden began to fumble with the gun again. I continued to watch him, observing. Even though that I was a newbie to the battlefield as well, I was more alert than this, more prepared for what was ahead._

_But not Cloud. _

_He was fragile, from the looks of it, and he couldn't control his nerves. He had a soft yet masculine face, but no one would be able to take him seriously. It's no wonder I couldn't just leave without him, though we were technically in the same boat. _

_That worried me. _

_Kunsel shook his head and a sigh passed his lips. He equipped his gun with extra features and held it firm in his hands. "Next time, blondie, think before you enroll in the army. This is what it is like and we can't have you stiffen up when you're in the line of fire. Soldiers aren't meek."_

_"..." Cloud nodded his head slowly. He kept his gaze down at the ground beneath his feet. His fingers danced along the rifle uneasily. My eyes fell on his hands. My hand suddenly reached out for his, but then it changed course. It was placed on the blond's shoulder instead. He jumped at the sudden contact, a smile suddenly threatened to show up on his lips. I smiled back._

_"Fair, do you read me?" A familiar voice called out to me. "You and Strife alive?"_

_The voice rang through my ear. I nearly forgot that I had an earpiece lodged in my ear. "Yeah, Reno, we're fine."_

_"You're needed out here." Another familiar voice said to me. I could hear bombs going off in the backround. I was suddenly standing. I loaded my rifle and began to jog out of the base. "We're needed out there," I told Kunsel on the way out. Cloud's eyes widened and he jumped up out of seat when Kunsel began to give out commands. All of a sudden, something flew over my head and I paused in my tracks. I turned my head slowly. My eyes layed eyes on the object flying in the air and my heart began to raise. My heart beat rang in my ears, and I felt as though my feet had slowed me down. Before I could get out, the object went off. _

_Everything went totally wrong._

A/N: OMG I AM SO SORRY, IT'S BEEN FOREVER. XDD I have just been SEVERLY busy and the motivation to write wasn't there...for a LONG time. I really apologize, if anyone still reads this thing. xD''

Please, comment if you want!


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: **This chapter is in Zack's POV. I do not own Final Fantasy or the characters, only Kunsel's design concerning his face.

**Chapter Fourteen:**

_My eyes opened slowly. Smoke clouded my vision but I forced myself to sit up, carefully. The smoke suddenly cleared and all I saw was ruin. I tried to shift my weight but my leg began to ache tremendously. I winced in pain and looked down. Sharp rocks were buried deep into my legs, I touched my shoulder as well and pressed down on it, wincing. I began to mentally panic. _

_The sounds of moans and groans suddenly became real to me and I looked around hesitantly. Soldiers were unconscious, severly injured, or...dead. I tried to move forward even though the pain was unbearable. I could still walk, so I might as well take advantage of what I have while few no longer had their own set of legs. _

_"Kunsel....!" My voice sounded far off to me, but I continued to call out to my comrade. I tripped over something and I fell down, hard. I winced and looked back at what I tripped over. My eyes widened suddenly and I scrambled to turn my body back to the source. I touched it, moved its arm and realized...this was Kunsel. _

_"K-kunsel...?" I shook his body lightly and his head turned.I smiled weakly, laughing a little. "Y-ou're ok...ay..." My words trailed off. My vision cleared itself up again. I looked down at my friend, gasping. His neck was badly damaged along with the features in his face. I crawled away from him, my heart pounding against my rib cage. He wasn't alive, was he...? He didn't look it...not at all. I forced myself to stand and ignored my own pain for a moment. "A-anyone....?...." I said more to myself. I heard from behind me a weak groan. I rushed over to the sound and my eyes automatically recognized the soldier's hair color. His blue eyes stared up at me and I stared back in shock rather than relief. This was his first day out on the field and already this happens to him..._

_"Cloud..." I whispered to him. Cloud's eyes suddenly became half lidded and his lips quivered as he tried to speak: no words were spoken. The blonde tried to move his body but couldn't. I ran my hands down his body, feeling all the holes that now covered his body. Sharp shards of glass and rocks penetrated his flesh and I winced knowing exactly how he feels. "S-sir..." He whimpered suddenly. I shushed him and ran my hands over the fresh wounds again. I had to get him to a medic and fast. Judging by where the boy was hit. I couldn't really do much in this location, the supplies had to be mixed in with the rubble of the base. I stood up and touched my legs, searching for where the pain was the strongest. I grabbed a large shard that was in my leg and pulled suddenly. I bit down on my lip to keep myself from screaming or even crying. Blood spilled from my wound but I could move even better now. I reached down and picked up the boy, slinging him over my shoulder. "Come on, kid...." I murmured to myself. I quickly left the base and, being as stealthy as I can, manuvuered through the forest. _

_Carrying Cloud was suddenly becoming difficult for me. I set him down for a moment and relaxed before picking him up again, this time putting the boy on my back. A loud roar was heard overhead and my eyes looked up at the dark sky. I could see the clouds suddenly becoming thick with unfallen tears and wished for it to hold on just a little bit longer until I reached a medic, or someone...anyone on our side. _

_When Wutai troops came around, I instinctively hid behind a tree, set the boy down and waited. I, over and over again, ran my bayonet through the enemy's chest, slit their throats, letting their blood stain my uniform along with my own. My hands shook as I pulled the blade out of the Wutaian's body and let their body hit the dirt without giving them a second glance. I went back to my wounded comrade and picked him up, trecking through the battle ground once again._

_The rain suddenly began to fall._

_The sound of it rang through my ears, blocking off one of my senses to the enemy. I cursed the sky and adjusted the grip I had on Cloud's legs. I felt his body falling away from mine and I forced him to rest against my back. _

"Come on, you're gonna make it." I said to him in a whisper. His eyes were barely open and his mouth hung open slightly. It seemed as if he were lifeless, but I could feel him breathing. The rain poured down on our heads as I trecked forward. The wound in my shoulder suddenly began to burn but he kept him up high, not letting him go.

"You're gonna make it," I said to him yet again, and still I recieved no response.

A light buzz hit my eardrum and I stopped in my tracks. "Fair--I need--" The call transferred in and out and I frowned. I continued to walk as the signal grew fainter by the minute. What the hell was Reno trying to say....? I stopped again and rested Cloud against a tree, looking around cautiously. My bayonet was out and ready for anyone who dared to cross me. I pressed against the button attached to my vest and spoke. "Reno, can you read me?" I let the button go and heard nothing. I shrugged my shoulders and went back to Cloud about to pick him up.

"Z--Zack--I need backup, I repeat--! S-shit...!--" The call ended automatically. A loud gunshot was heard not too far off from me and my head whipped around in that direction. I cursed out loud and quickly picked up Cloud, rushing to the source.

"Shit...." I heard a familiar voice say in the distance. I braced myself against a tree and set the blonde down before peeking around the tree trunk with my hand gun in hand. Reno tripped, landing on a dead body of one of his own men. His stomach turned and he quickly got up on his feet, aiming his gun at the man before him. He reached for the button his chest and tried to call out to contact someone again. The rain suddenly began to pour down harder than before, blocking a clear view of who it was Reno was up against. The redhead's legs began to tremble underneath him and his gun suddenly slipped through his fingers when the taller man inched closer.

"I...d-don't wanna die...I don't wanna die...!" Reno said. My heart began to ache with not only understanding but with fear. I looked down at the dead surrounding him and felt something coming over me. He glanced down at Cloud and saw that he was getting much worse. I smiled weakly and rested my hand on his head. "Looks like I can't save you after all..." I pushed myself away from the tree and leaped into action. Reno saw me and automatically turned to run away from the battle completely. Tch, typical. My gun went off and I thought I hit the target. I smirked, feeling accomplished. I weakened him!

...For some reason, I regretted doing that.

My gun lowered a little and I took a small step forward. Something about this man...seemed familiar. Just as I took another step forward, the man turned his head. I jumped and pulled up my gun again. "Don't move!" I demanded. The man suddenly moved, quickly than I expected. The gun was knocked out of my hand and I watched it hit the ground. It went off and my arm blocked the man's punch. He suddenly knocked off my helmet off of my head and the rain covered my vision. My bangs stuck to my forehead and I almost went to wipe my face, but it was pointless.

My leg went up to kick the enemy but it was grabbed. I gasped, moving my other leg in response, hitting the man and catching him offguard. I smirked in accomplishment yet again, but it was wiped right off my face when my other leg was grabbed as well. My eyes widened and I felt my back being slammed into a nearby tree. The wind was knocked out of me and I hissed in pain. A hand suddenly went around my neck. His hand squeezed only once and I felt the air being cut off in an instant. My eyes hesitated to stay open and my hands fought against his grip. "Fuck....not today...not now...!" I reached down and felt around for my dagger without the man noticing. My hand grabbed onto the handle and swiftly ran the blade along the bigger man's arm. It stabbed him and he let me go instantly. I dropped to the ground but quickly got up to retaliate. I kicked him, slammed my fist into his face, making him stumble. I tackled him into the ground and grabbed him by his hair, holding my dagger to his throat.

"And now...you die, Wutai scu--...!"

I suddenly froze. My hand quivered, making the dagger unsteady against the man's neck. I pressed it against his skin, making him bleed only a little. My eyes closed for a moment and I let a laugh escape my lips. "...After all this time..."

His dark eyes stared up at me. They were cold and ruthless. The wound from my shoulder bled through my shirt and hit the man's face underneath me. The grip on my dagger was somehow nonexistant now. My hand let go of his black hair and hesitantly touched his face, my eyes suddenly burning.

"After all this time...." I repeated.

After all this time, I finally found you...Angeal.

**A/N: **Tehee~ Indeed, it is Angeal Hewley. :3 Hopefully, you guys figured out that the italics are the past and the non italics are the present. =O But yeah....

Please review or something. Thanks for reading!


	15. Chapter 15

**CHAPTER FIFTEEN**

Zack knew for a fact that he was trembling. Trembling so much that his dagger fell right out of his hand. Again, he ran his fingers over Angeal's cheek, his heart skipping a beat with the slightest touch. This was all just a dream, wasn't it? He couldn't have been in the war. He couldn't have been on top of his mentor right then and there with his shoulder bleeding from the wound that the man had given him; nor was his dagger out and lying on the damp soil.

No…they weren't trying to kill each other right now. It had to have been a nightmare.

It had to be.

Zack heard himself laugh again as he stared down into the older man's face. He suddenly stopped and realized what he had done only a moment before. He touched Angeal's shoulder, his lips quivering. "I…I shot you…I'm…but you…" Suddenly, Zack felt something bottling up inside of him. He then grabbed Angeal's collar forcefully and brought his face closer to his own.

"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO, ANGEAL? IS THIS YOUR IDEA OF HONOR?" Zack couldn't lower his voice. For a moment, he didn't care about giving away his exact location. "The hell are you even doing here! Wha—this-! This isn't even like you! This isn't like you at all! Angeal, we're not your enemy—I'm not your enemy!" Zack watched Angeal's eyebrows come together. That triggered something. Angeal slowly raised his hand up to Zack, grabbing his shoulder. The soldier tried not to wince and kept his eyes locked on him. "You disappeared without saying a damn word to any of us! And I was waiting for you to show up but not as my enemy!" He suddenly paused. He licked his bottom lip. " We…we can stop this; you don't have to do this any-!"

That was when Zack flew into the nearest tree. His own dagger was forced into his stomach, Angeal pressing his entire body against him. Zack could've sworn that he heard the man breathe in deeply before twisting the blade. He dragged it to the right a little, causing Zack to grip tightly onto his shoulder. Angeal pulled the dagger out of him and turned his back to him. Zack could feel himself slipping too quickly. His body slid down until his bottom hit the drenched ground. Hell he couldn't even hold his head up anymore. He thought he heard Angeal murmur something but his hearing was starting to fail him. Zack could suddenly hear faint gunshots in the distance but it wasn't enough to keep him awake.

Fuck…this…this wasn't happening. He forced his lips to move and his hand slowly started to reach for the blurry figure.

His body hit the ground and he lost consciousness.

**A/N:** Yeah, I know. This is super short and I've been gone for so long. I have been very unmotivated and a lot of things have been going on in my life and I'm sorry about the LONG long LOOONG absence. I'm not sure if anyone is even looking forward to this anymore but, I will try and get this up and going again because I don't want to keep you guys waiting or anything like that. I should probably stop this story here and continue it but under a different title. I shall warn you that it will get darker from here.

BUT. I hope you all keep reading and reviewing and all that wonderful jazz. Until then. SEE YA'LL LATA.


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